Tag Archives: Desserts

Mango Coconut Ladoos | Healthy version without condensed milk

June 13, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 2 Comments

Click on the image to save the recipe on Pinterest

Don’t the ladoos look pretty? I loved how this picture came out. 😍 Even though I have been making these ladoos since some time now, the cashew bits idea came while presenting them for the blog and they looked so cute that I felt so happy. ❤️

I have a Microwave Mango Coconut ladoos recipe on the blog which many of my readers have tried but the recipe is with condensed milk which they wanted to avoid and I got requests for alternatives. So, I started experimenting and substituted condensed milk with cashew paste. And it worked very well. 😍

The ladoos come out very soft yet melt in the mouth delicious. I still remember the first time that I made it, I shared it with my neighbor Trinita and she showered me with so many wonderful words saying it tasted really delicious. Happiness is sharing, everything tastes much more yummier once you have shared it with your loved ones! ❤️

**Wish I could share with all of you too** 😍

Similar is with my daughter. She can’t colour alone and needs me (only me, mind you! Mr daddy is invisible to her 😅😁) to colour along with her. I guess sharing the colouring page and pencils make it much more pleasurable an activity. So, we both colour together listening to our favorite songs. Her current favorite is “Mere Sohneya” from Kabir Singh movie. Listening with her, I too love the song now (super cute music and lyrics ❤️) which is coming very close to “Tujhe kitna chahne lage” which has been my most favorite from the movie. How kids change our song choices too! 😍

On the note, sharing this sweet recipe made from my favorite Mango. Hope you all try and love it. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { About 15 small ladoos }

2 Cups Freshly grated/ Desiccated Coconut

1 Cup thick Mango Pulp (fresh/canned)

1/2 Cup Cashews

1/4 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Jaggery powder

1 Tbsp Ghee

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Step by step recipe:

1. Grind 1/2 Cup Cashews with 1/4 Cup Milk to a smooth paste.

2. In a pan, add 2 Cups desiccated Coconut, 1 Cup Mango pulp, 1/4 Cup Jaggery powder along with cashew paste.

3. Now mix everything well into an even mixture.

4. Keep this pan on medium flame and cook till moisture evaporates and the mixture turns dry. Takes about 10 mins depending on the moisture content of the mango pulp. Now add ghee.

5. Remove from pan and allow to cool. Add cardamom powder and mix well.

6. When it cools, using your palms form ladoos. It will be very soft and you can make ladoos easily. If the mixture sticks to the palm, apply ghee on your palms while making ladoos.

7. Repeat the same with the rest of the ladoos. Garnish with bits of cashews for it to look pretty. 😍

Notes:

* If using freshly grated Coconut, dry roast in a pan first to remove the moisture and then mix in mango pulp, jaggery and cashew paste like in step 2. Do not brown the coconut though. Just light toasting will do.

* You can use both fresh or store bought mango pulp during off season. If using fresh pulp, do not grind using water. Just slice mangoes and grind the mixer without water for a thick pulp.

* During off season, I use Mother’s recipe brand of Alphonso mango pulp. It works really well for this recipe.

* You can skip jaggery if the mangoes are very sweet. You can taste the mixture slightly and then add jaggery only if needed.

* You can use grated Jaggery in place of jaggery powder as anyhow it will melt when we cook it.

* For a Vegan version, you can skip milk and grind cashews with equal amount of water. Also you can skip ghee and use any neutral flavoured oil while greasing your palms while forming ladoos.

* Cook the mixture really well such that the moisture evaporates. Else it will be difficult to form ladoos is the mixture is sticky. But don’t cook a lot that mangoes lose flavour. It took me about 10 mins on medium flame in my cooktop.

* These ladoos are not like regular ladoos and very soft but tastes delicious.

* If you have difficulty forming ladoos even after applying ghee on your palms, then refrigerate the mixture for an hour or so. You can form ladoos easily after that.

* After a day, refrigerate the ladoos in a moisture free container.

* You can also check out these recipes:

# Microwave Mango Coconut ladoos

# Coconut Burfis

# Dry fruit Coconut Ladoos

# All Mango recipes list

# Easy, healthy sweet recipes ready in 15 mins compilation

Desserts

Amrakhand | Mango Shrikhand | Easy Mango dessert

June 3, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 1 Comment

This picture of Amrakhand or Mango Shrikhand is making me drool now and I am so sad that it’s already finished off. 😅 Had made it as it is my brother’s birthday today and I wanted to post a sweet recipe on the blog dedicated to him. As my regular readers know, Mango is my most favorite fruit among all and making mango sweets are my favorite pastime during mango season. 😍

This dessert hardly takes any effort (just mixer jar washing 😂) but looks so beautiful (all credits to my fav Mango ❤️) and tastes so delicious that whenever I make it, the kids can’t get enough of it. They call it mango ice cream. 😍

Just received a picture of my brother cutting his birthday cake. He turned 25 years today and this picture amazed me as to how much he has grown from a little baby on my lap to a handsome man. ❤️

He works for IBM, Bangalore but is at home due to the work from home situation now. Grateful to God for that as I am relieved that my parents have company and also he’s much safer in Udupi. This picture also shows my home, Amma’s dream flat amidst nature near Shri Krishna temple, Udupi and makes me miss all of them so much. ❤️

Also sharing a collage of pictures of my journey with my brother from when he was a baby, born 6.5 years after me, to our childhood memories to growing up together. ❤️

Here’s wishing you a very happy birthday dear Madan. Loads of love and blessings on this special day as you turn 25. Dedicating this sweet to you. ❤️ The big heart is me, being your Akka and the small heart is you, my little brother.😍😍

On this note, sharing the recipe with all of you. Hope you all will try this sweet recipe and I am sure you will love it. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 3 Cups }

2 Cups Curd / Yogurt

1 Cup thick Mango pulp

1/4 Cup Jaggery (about 3 to 4 spoons)

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Saffron strands and mango pieces to garnish (optional)

Step by step recipe:

1. Make Hung Curd from the regular curd. It is very easy to make and I have shared all the step by step pictures in this Jaggery Shrikhand post. You can check that.

2. Once hung curd is ready, keep all the other ingredients ready too. In this picture you can see, freshly made hung curd, mango pulp, jaggery powder and cardamom powder.

3. Now add all these ingredients in the mixer jar and blend till the mixture turns smooth and creamy.

4. You are done. Now pour into bowls, garnish with saffron and mango pieces. Serve chilled.

Notes:

* This sweet tastes best with Alphonso mango pulp due to the natural sweetness of the mango.

* You can use fresh or canned mango pulp. When making the mango pulp at home, just blend the mangoes to a thick pulp without adding water. Else the Amrakhand turns watery.

* You can skip jaggery too if the mangoes are very sweet.

* The thicker the yogurt, the quicker you will get hung curd. I hung the curd in a bowl only for two hours and it came out to be a thick hung curd. That’s because the curd or yogurt that we get here is very thick.

* For making hung curd using regular curd, check my Jaggery Shrikhand post.

* You can also add dry fruits to it. I skipped as my kids like it only with mango pieces.

* I have added a lot of mango sweet recipes on the blog. You can check them here – Mango Recipes.

Desserts, Snacks

Dry fruit Coconut Ladoos | Sugar free ladoos | Easy to make, Ready in 15 mins

April 27, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 7 Comments

So happy to be posting this super healthy, easy to make, heavenly tasting ladoo recipe on Hanuman Jayanthi today. The thread you can see above in my hand is from Shri Hanumantha temple in Moodbidri near Udupi. It’s been around 2 years that I got it as a prasad from the temple but I am happy that the thread has not deformed nor lost its beautiful colour. Grateful to God for that. This thread is a constant reminder to me that I have Hanumanji’s blessings always and it has removed fear completely from my mind. 🙏

My devotion to Hanumanji started when we shifted to Elamakkara, Kochi when I was in 9th std. Elamakkara is a place with so many temples located very close to each other. My dad used to go to each of these temples on weekends and I would accompany him too. In the Dattatreya Swamy temple, there is a Hanumanji gudi ( a smaller temple) where I started going quite often and I always felt so peaceful standing in front of that gudi while sharing both my happiness and sorrows with Hanumanji. 🙏

During college days, I also started wearing his pendant which had Shree Ram on one side and Hanumanji on the other. Found this picture from exactly 10 years back and sharing with all of you along with the pendant’s picture as it not clear from my photo.

This picture brought back so many memories of our house in Elamakkara. ❤️ Our mandir which you can see behind, the showcase with photos and soveigners, our old computer in which I used to do my college work, the wooden sofa with velvet seating and a glimpse of our kitchen where my grandmother and mother used to make so many dishes very lovingly for me. One photo, hundreds of memories. 😍😍

Talking about photos, my devotion to Hanumanji also was through collecting his pictures, his books, his keychains, in fact anything with Hanumanji in it. I have saved all of it even now and had brought them along with me to Qatar. Looking at them makes me so so happy. Sharing a glimpse with all of you.

There is a story behind Hanuman chalisa book in my life. During my final college trip to Hyderabad, my Amma was very scared to let me go. But for my happiness, finally she agreed reluctantly. Alongside, she prayed to Hanumanji that if I come back safely, we would give Hanuman chalisa books to my Hindu classmates (I know it might sound childish but a mother’s love is something which only a mother can understand ❤️). And you know the most divine part?

On the way to Hyderabad in the bus, while my friends were dancing, me being a very bad dancer (😅), just sat looking outside the window and what do I see! Small Hanumanji temples in every few kms!! It made me feel so happy that I wanted to call Amma then and there to share my happiness. I saw so many idols of Hanumanji together that evening that I have not seen in my entire life. Such a blissful and unforgettable experience it was! 🙏 And yes, I did reach back safely and we distributed the Hanuman chalisa books to my classmates, much to their surprise. ❤️ My best friend Sunanda still has that book which made her a Hanumanji devotee too. 🙏

Sorry for so many nostalgic stories today but Hanumanji is so close to my life that I just went on writing. Thank you so much for reading. Here’s wishing all of you a very blessed Hanuman Jayanthi. 🙏

Hope you all try these delicious ladoos for your family. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes 20 small ladoos }

1 Cup deseeded Dates (I used Khudri variety)

10 dried Apricots

3/4 Cup Mixed Nuts { I took 1/4 Cup each of Cashews, Almonds and Walnuts }

1/4 Cup Raisins

1/2 Cup Desiccated Coconut

Step by step recipe:

1. Soak dried apricots in hot water for about 10 mins. Also soak dates if using hard variety of dates.

2. Meanwhile, dry roast the Desiccated Coconut in a pan on medium flame till it starts changing colour and turns light brown. Immediately transfer to a bowl. (Don’t allow it to turn dark brown. Just a light colour change as shown below is sufficient.) Keep aside till use.

2. Add the nuts to a mixer or food processor. Also keep the apricots, dates and raisins ready.

3. Powder it coarsely, not grinding continually but pulsing in regular intervals. Took me about 5 pulses for 15 seconds each for it to get powdered coarsely. { If ground continually, it will turn into paste as nuts release oil when ground too much. }

4. Now add the drained apricots, dates and raisins.

5. Again pulse in the food processor till the mixture gets blended together to almost like a coarse paste. { Do not add water while grinding.}

6. Now add to a frying pan and heat it for two mins just till it becomes dry. Remove and keep aside.

7. Now add the mixture to the dry roasted coconut and mix well using a spatula.

8. Once mixture has cooled slightly, make ladoos by taking little portions and shaping between your palms. These ladoos can be easily shaped by anyone as the mixture is not dry.

9. Repeat the same with the mixture. Enjoy these guilt free healthy ladoos!

Notes:

* Store them in an air tight container free from moisture and it will last well atleast for couple of days in room temperature. Refrigerate after that.

* Desiccated Coconut can be substituted with freshly grated coconut. Just that it will take a little while longer to get brown colour.

* If using hard variety of dates, soak it in hot water for about 10 mins or till it turns soft.

* If you don’t have dried apricots, substitute with 1/2 Cup more of Dates. So total 1 1/2 Cup Dates in the recipe.

* In the 3/4 Cup nuts, you can use any variety of nuts. I used a mix of Cashews, Almonds and Walnuts.

* You can use either golden or black raisins.

* If you don’t want to use coconut, just skip it like I do for my Dry fruit bites.

* If you don’t want to make them as ladoos, spread onto a plate and cut once it gets hard. I do that for my Dry fruit bites.

* You can check my Ready in 15 min healthy sweet recipes compilationfor easy, healthy sweet recipes.

Desserts

Poha Sheera | Aval Kesari with Jaggery | Easy 15 min sweet recipe

April 1, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 5 Comments

A new recipe after nearly two months! Both Feb and March were filled with so much uncertainties and many sad days due to losing my loved ones that I did not even feel like trying something new or blogging recipes. If there was something that kept me going without breaking down, it is my love for music. I kept listening to my daily shlokas, bhajans and my favorite songs on youtube all day, which gave me peace of mind. Youtube has become my favorite app now! ❤️

Music really has healing powers and when you don’t feel like talking with anyone, immerse yourself in the world of music and it will definitely bring you peace! ❤️

In devotional music, Guru Raghavendra Swamy’s bhajans and shlokas are my favorite. Whenever I feel nobody can understand me, and also when there are instances in my life which I can’t share with anyone else (not even with my Amma as I don’t want to worry her ❤️), that’s when Guru Raghavendra Swamy comes to my aid. Through his bhajans, I talk to him and he shows me the way. Not all would believe, but I get the answer to my talks within a day. That’s the power of my relation with him and those who believe in him will know how he’s always with us, taking care of us, knowing all the battles that we face in life.

Sharing my favorite picture of Guru Raghavendra Swamy with all of you. The way he is hugging Krishna depicts so much love that I feel very happy just looking at this picture. ❤️

So, I am dedicating this sweet that I learnt recently from Usha Thukaram mai, which we loved a lot, to my Guru Raghavendra Swamy. 🙏 Today is Thursday (Guruvaar) and my Guru’s day. An apt day to post this Sheera as prasad to him. Om Shree Guru Raghavendraya Namaha 🙏

This sweet is very easy to make and a unique twist of adding roasted poha powder instead of semolina, gives it a wonderful flavour. Do try for a change and I am sure you will love it. Happy and healthy cooking!

Thank you Usha Thukaram mai for your recipe. You had once said that you see me as your daughter. Just want to say that I will never forget that and always admire you for your amazing dishes that you post. Love, respects and seeking blessings from you! ❤️🙏

RECIPE: { Serves 2 }

Ingredients:

1 Cup thick or thin Poha / Aval / Flattened rice / Beaten rice

3/4 Cup Jaggery (I used powder)

2 Tbsp Ghee

6 to 8 chopped Cashews

6 to 8 Raisins

2 Cups Water

1 tsp Cardamom powder

Step by step recipe:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp ghee in a pan and roast the poha on medium flame till it turns light brown in colour. Allow it to cool.

2. Add to a mixer and powder it finely.

3. Now heat the rest 1 Tbsp ghee in the pan and fry cashews and raisins in it till cashews turn brown in colour. Add 2 Cups water and bring to a boil.

4. Add the powdered poha along with jaggery powder. (If adding jaggery as blocks, melt jaggery first in the water and then add the poha powder.) Mix continually removing lumps if any.

5. Now cook mixing continually on medium flame till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Takes about 8 mins.

6. Add cardamom powder. Mix well and remove from the flame. Serve hot or cold. Both tastes yummy.

Notes:

* You can use both thick or thin Poha for this recipe.

* Make sure to not burn the poha while roasting. Remove from flame as soon as it starts turning brown in colour.

* For 1 Cup Poha, 2 Cups water and 3/4 Cup jaggery works well for me. It turns out sweet enough for our taste buds. If you have a extra sweet tooth, you could increase the quantity of jaggery to upto 1 Cup.

* When poha powder is added to the hot water, there is chance of it forming lumps. So mix continually with a spatula removing lumps if any.

* If using jaggery blocks instead of powder, melt it in the water and then add the poha powder.

* Also, if the jaggery you use has impurities in it, make jaggery water separately (3/4 Cup jaggery in 2 Cups water). Sieve and then add the water to the roasted cashews and raisins.

* Don’t skip the cardamom powder as it enhances the flavour so much.

* I found that as the Sheera is kept in room temperature, it increases the taste than when had hot. So I would suggest to make this sweet a bit ahead of time for the poha to absorb the flavours well. The tagline behind this Sheera is ” As time went by, the Sheera kept tasting better and better! 😄”

* Here is yet another Sheera that I make always with Rava/ Semolina: Jaggery Sheera

* This is the compilation of all my Easy 15 mins sweet recipes.

Desserts, Millet recipes

Ragi Jaggery Ladoos | Easy to make healthy ladoos

January 25, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 9 Comments

I can’t believe till some time back, I thought making ladoos were the most difficult among sweets. Now, if you give me 15 mins, I can make ladoos for you. 😄 That’s the change which practice has brought in me. Now I can understand the real meaning of “Practice makes a man perfect”. Though not perfect by looks (I am reaching there 😬), these ladoos come out looking like ladoos 😂 and tastes so delicious that my kids love it a lot. So I thought it was worth sharing with all of you.

Hope you all try these healthy and delicious ladoos. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: {Makes about 12 ladoos}

1 Cup Ragi or finger millet powder

3/4 Cup Jaggery powder

1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Ghee

2 Tbsp Raisins

Step by step recipe:

1. Heat 2 Tbsp Ghee in a pan and add 2 Tbsp Raisins. Fry till the raisins puff up. Remove to a bowl.

2. Now melt 1/4 Cup Ghee in the pan and add 1 Cup ragi flour. On medium flame, saute the flour in the ghee. Saute till the ghee and ragi flour combines well.

3. Now, keep sauteing on medium flame till the mixture comes together as shown below. It will take about 6 to 8 mins. The mixture turns aromatic and raw smell of the flour goes away.

4. Remove it in the bowl where we had put the raisins. Also add 3/4 Cup jaggery powder.

5. Mix well and allow it to cool slightly. When it still warm, bind to make ladoos. I am attaching some pictures that I took when making these ladoos. Hope it helps all of you.

**Keep it in your palm and open close your fingers. Keep doing it till it forms round shape.**

6. Repeat the same with the rest of the mixture. Enjoy the ladoos!

Notes:

* Store in a moisture free container at room temperature. Stays well for atleast 2 to 3 days. Mine gets finished off before that.

* Don’t reduce the amount of ghee or you won’t be able to bind the ladoos well.

* Add little ghee to the mixture and on your palms if you find it difficult to form ladoos.

* Do remember to saute the ragi flour well in the ghee so that there is no raw taste in the ladoos.

* You can add cardamom powder too if you like.

* Substitute ragi flour with wheat flour to make Churmundos or wheat flour ladoos. They come out delicious too.

* These ladoos are very soft when freshly made but turns hard as they cool down and tastes much better when kept for little while.

You can check all recipes with Ragi that I make regularly like Ragi idlis, Ragi dosas, Ragi cake, Ragi cookies, Ragi Malpua in this Ragi recipes collection.

Ragi Set Dosas

Instant Ragi Rava Dosas

Instant Ragi Idlis

Ragi Urad Idlis

Ragi Ela Ada

Ragi Butter cookies

Eggless Ragi Chocolate Cake

Ragi Malpua

All Millet Recipes

You can also check my 15 mins healthy sweets recipes collection.

Desserts

Til Jaggery Burfi | Easy 15 min, 3 ingredient sweet recipe

January 12, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 4 Comments

I was supposed to write this blog last night after putting my kids to sleep but their tired mommy fell asleep before them 😅 and so here I am, writing it atleast before they wake up (and the double storms start 😁😁). Had a great sleep after long though, with so many dream sessions. I have been a person who gets loads of dreams, about people whom I think of during daytime, about places that I wish to go, some hidden desires which only I know about, all of it gets fulfilled (atleast 😄) in my dreams ❤️. And I remember it even after I wake up. Am I weird or is it the same with all of you too? 😀

Anyhow, after some heart to heart talk, let me get back to these burfis which I am sharing as it is Makara Sankranthi in two days. Til and Jaggery are important ingredients that people consume on the festival in different forms like ladoos, chikkis, burfis and many other ways. Makara Sankranthi is celebrated all over the country marking the end of winter with the sun starting it’s northward journey or the Uttarayan journey and signifies new beginnings.

I love how each of our festival gives such positive vibes and also the dishes consumed are so healthy. Til and jaggery are both warm foods to the body, also loaded with health benefits, so this festival makes sure we consume it atleast on this day.

Hope you all try this easy to make Burfi which requires only 3 ingredients. I always prefer to make such quick sweets as I don’t like to spend my whole day in the kitchen for sweets. Also, this is very healthy and perfect for the festive occasion as well. Wishing you all a very happy Makara Sankranthi. 🙏🙏

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 12 small pieces of burfis}

1 Cup white sesame seeds/ Til

1/2 Cup Jaggery (I use powder)

2 Tbsp Ghee

Sliced almonds for garnish (optional)

Step by step recipe:

1. Roast 1 Cup sesame seeds in a pan on medium flame till it starts browning on the edges. Don’t allow to burn as it can taste bitter. As soon it starts turning brown, remove onto a plate. Allow it to cool. Now powder coarsely in a mixer.

2. Now add 2 Tbsp ghee, 1/2 Cup jaggery and 2 Tbsp water in a pan. Allow jaggery to melt in the water and form bubbles on top like shown.

3. Immediately reduce flame to medium and add the powdered sesame seeds. Mix well continually for about 3 to 5 mins till everything comes together and the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.

4. Keep a plate greased with ghee ready. Pour this mixture and spread evenly using spatula. Allow it to cool.

5. Garnish with almond slices to enhance the beauty of the Burfi. Slice and serve.

Notes:

* Don’t burn the sesame seeds while dry roasting it. Sesame seeds get roasted quite quickly and we have to be very careful while roasting it so that it does not turn black. As soon as it starts turning browning, immediately transfer it to a plate to cool.

* Powder coarsely in the mixer. Gets done very quickly. Don’t grind too much as sesame seeds can leave oil.

* You can skip ghee for a vegan version but ghee adds a wonderful aroma.

* 1/2 Cup Jaggery + 2 Tbsp Water makes a correct ratio. Adding more water can make the burfi turn into halwa. 😀

* Add the sesame seeds powder as soon as you see bubbles forming in the jaggery water. Mix well for few minutes and then remove immediately. Keeping in the hot pan itself can make it form a crisp layer on the bottom.

* This Burfi hardens as you keep it. So don’t worry if it’s soft first. Just slice with knife and keep it to cool. Remove after it hardens.

* You can also add cardamom powder if your want and garnish with any other dry fruits too or just leave it plain.

You can also check my other 15 mins sweets recipe collection.

Desserts

Peanut Jaggery ladoos | 2 ingredient easy Ladoos

January 6, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 4 Comments

I am someone who gets emotional and get tears very quickly (no matter how much I show that I am strong from outside 😀) and right now I am having tears of joy in my eyes. The reason is that the blockade which was imposed on Qatar (where I live) by some neighboring countries has been lifted after more than 3 years. It is definitely a happy news for people living here as well as people in those countries as finally things have got normal like before (most importantly many families reuniting ❤️).

It takes me back to the time when this sudden blockade was imposed. We were really worried as we did not have much grocery, veggies or milk as people were stocking up everything. The supermarkets were empty. Milk and milk products which used to come from Saudi and UAE stopped coming. There was utter chaos.

But our King handled everything very well and within few months, we became self sufficient with milk industry doing great production and even fresh veggies being available locally. Really proud of him, the way the situation was managed. 🙌

Now when things have got back to normal, it makes me happy that whatever misunderstanding there was between the countries have been solved and they are back together like before. I don’t belong here and mostly will shift back to India within an year or so, but that does not stop me from being proud of this country and celebrating this happy news. ❤️

So here’s sharing a very easy 2 ingredient Peanut Ladoo that I learnt from my friend Trupti Rao who is a great cook and someone who encourages me a lot. Thank you so much dear for your amazing recipe. We all loved it a lot. ❤️

Dedicating these ladoos to Qatar 🇶🇦. May this country always be as amazing as it is and more power to our King. 🙌

RECIPE:

Ingredients: {Makes about 10 ladoos}

1 Cup Peanuts

1/2 Cup Jaggery powder

Step by step recipe:

1. Dry roast the peanuts on medium flame till the peanuts get brown spots on it showing it has got roasted. Don’t burn it. Remove as soon as it starts getting brown spots. Allow it to cool.

2. If using peanuts with skin, you need to remove the skin after the peanuts cool down. Since I have used skinned peanuts, I have skipped this step.

3. Add to a mixer along with jaggery powder or grated jaggery.

4. Now grind the mixture,not in one go but pulsing, removing after few seconds and scraping the sides, grinding again and repeating till peanut leaves oil and the mixture turns little wet from powder form. It took me about 5 times of grinding, scraping the sides and grinding again till I got the perfect mixture.

5. Now add to a bowl. Take little quantity of mixture in your hands and form small ladoos by pressing well using your palm and fingers.

6. Do the same with the rest of the mixture.

Notes:

* Store in a moisture free container. Lasts well for couple of days. Mine gets finished off by then.

* If using peanuts with skin, roast, cool, remove skin and then add to the mixer.

* Roast on medium flame only and remove as soon it starts turning brown. Else burnt peanuts will have a bitter after taste in the ladoos.

* Use grated jaggery instead of powdered ones.

* Main part here is grinding it till it turns from powder to slightly wet but not such that peanuts leave oil completely. So just pulse (grind only for few seconds), scrape the sides of the mixer and continue doing so. I usually check if I can form small ladoos. If I can, it means the mixture is ready.

* Learning to bind ladoos takes few attempts to get perfect but once you get the knack of it, it’s very easy. Just take a handful of mixture in your palm and continue pressing while opening and closing your fist giving it the shape.

* You can check my Wheat jaggery ladoos/ Churmundos recipe too. Very easy to make and tastes heavenly.

* I also make Peanut Jaggery Ubbattis or Holiges or Puranpoli which comes out very delicious.

Desserts

Healthy Biscuit Pudding | Easy 10 minute recipe using hung curd and Jaggery

December 17, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha Leave a comment

If you are amazed at the above picture, you are not alone. I too have been coming back to look at it every few minutes 😅. Can’t believe my hands holding the pudding over our Tulsi plants could look so beautiful 😂. Have to thank Mr Husband for his idea and also the captures (his plant love speaks!). The Tulsi bushes are also growing so well now due to winters here in Qatar which makes for a perfect backdrop. Doesn’t the pudding look so pretty? 😍

***An inside look of the deliciousness*** 😍

It is Qatar National day on December 18th and I dedicate this simple yet delicious dessert to Qatar 🇶🇦 where I am living since more than 9 years now. Sharing a collage of pictures which I took during my first year here, the 21 year old me, little silly, very naive, a cry baby, super talkative, amazed at the tall buildings, astonished at stylish people, scared of escalators (yes, that’s true 😬) and wondering if I will ever fit in here. 😅

These are two of my favorite places here. The view of the Doha skyline from Corniche with the gleaming blue waters in between and Villagio mall which has a small stream of water flowing right in midst of the mall with a boat taking you for small rides. There is also a park next to this mall which has a beautiful lake where I could just sit for hours looking at the ducks moving around freely (my bird love speaks 😍). There are also the goodies we got during our first visit to the Corniche on National day celebrations. I was as happy as a kid to get these stickers and notepad that I had clicked all this to show Amma. 😀

This country has really seen me changing. From the silly, naive, talkative girl (who wanted to chat with everyone around) to a woman now, who thinks more than she speaks, does not want many people close to her, happy in her own little world. I actually have only a handful of friends apart from my family and very few special ones whom I love to love, in my life. That’s my precious circle and I can do anything for them. 😍 (That’s me and I know only to love to the extreme and nothing less than that. ❤️)

I can go on and on but I guess it’s time to give a break to my thoughts and keep it for the next time. I don’t know how many of you are from Qatar but I wish all my readers from Qatar a very Happy National day 🇶🇦. We residents know how well our King has taken care of this country and it’s people, even in the toughest times of blockade and we are all proud of him. I don’t know how long I would be here but this country will be in my heart forever. 🇶🇦 ❤️

Now to the recipe finally. 😂 Do try this delicious dessert and you are sure to love it. Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Serves 2 }

For Hung curd layer:

2 Cups thick full fat Curd/ Yogurt (to make about 1 1/2 Cups Hung curd)

1/2 Cup Jaggery powder/ grated Jaggery

For chocolate layer:

About 35 grams Chocolate (I used Lindt. You can use Dairy milk or any other brand.)

1 Tbsp Milk

2 Tbsp finely chopped Walnuts

For Biscuit layer:

2 to 4 Digestive biscuits (or as needed as per your container.)

1/2 Tbsp Instant coffee powder

2 Tbsp Water

Step by step recipe:

1. Make hung curd using 2 Cups Yogurt. You can see the full step by step pictorial here in my Jaggery Shrikhand recipe. Now, add jaggery powder to it and mix well. (Sieve if jaggery powder contains granules) Keep aside.

**This is Jaggery Shrikhand which tastes yummy as it is too!** 😍

2. Now take chocolate (your regular chocolate like dairy milk/ galaxy) in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high power for 1 to 2 mins till the chocolate turns soft.

3. Add about 1 Tbsp milk to it. Also add finely chopped Walnuts to it. Mix well. Keep aside.

4. Mix instant coffee powder with water till it dissolves. Dip one of the digestive biscuit into it and keep in a bowl.

5. Add a layer of the Jaggery Shrikhand over it.

6. Top it with the melted chocolate- walnut mixture.

7. Again repeat a layer of biscuit dipped in coffee solution, jaggery Shrikhand and melted chocolate- walnut mixture. Garnish with biscuit pieces and a hint of Jaggery Shrikhand. Serve that time itself or chill and serve.

Notes:

* If you don’t have hung curd or don’t know how to make it at home, check my step by step pictorial in the Jaggery Shrikhand recipe. Once you make hung curd, the assembling of this pudding hardly takes 10 mins to make.

* Just make sure you use full fat yogurt which is not very sour.

* Use any biscuits which is available in your house. I wanted to make it healthy, so I used Digestive biscuits. But digestive biscuits dipped in coffee solution does give a wonderful flavour.

* Make sure you don’t add a lot of coffee solution in the pudding or the pudding can turn bitter (once I added a little of leftover coffee solution over it and it had a slight bitter aftertaste.). Just dip the biscuits in the solution and add to the bowl.

* The layers are:

1. Biscuit dipped in coffee solution
2. Jaggery Shrikhand layer
3. Melted Chocolate- walnut mixture

Repeat again as much as your bowl as hold. With the measurements I have given, it makes one small bowl of the pudding serving two.

* Walnuts give a wonderful crunch and flavour to the pudding. But you can skip or substitute with other nuts if you don’t have.

* I enjoy this pudding as soon as I make it but if you like it chilled, you can refrigerate for an hour. It also helps the layers set very well and turns firm.

* I sometimes add a layer of sliced bananas to this making it a Banana chocolate pudding.

* Makes for a great make ahead dessert for parties. A lot healthier than whipping cream and sugar based puddings too. You won’t know the difference too as hung curd gives it that creamy flavour.

Desserts, Recipe collections

Easy to make, healthy and delicious sweet recipes |Ready in 15 mins sweets

November 11, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 12 Comments

I am in many Facebook food groups and it is now filled with people posting many varieties of sweets along with savories as they are all set to welcome the most favorite festival, Diwali. It makes my heart warm to see the enthusiasm and happiness of everyone in the groups. Many of the members have become so close to me that I feel like they are my own family. Their encouragement for a beginner like me is truly very overwhelming. Thank you to all my readers from food groups. ❤️

This is just a compilation of my easy sweet recipes for people who have not yet made any sweets and want to make atleast one to celebrate the occasion. These get ready in about 15 mins and are healthy along with being kid friendly too. So good for busy mommies like me. Hope you all try and like them.

Wishing all of you a very happy Diwali. May the festival of lights bring happiness in your lives. ❤️

Please click on the name or the picture for the recipe.

1. Easy Coconut Burfi: These are really easy to make which I learned from “The Konkani Saraswat Cookbook” by my dearest Asha Satish Philar mai. It was one of the first sweets that I learnt and even my 5 year old daughter knows to make it.

Recipe here: Easy Coconut Burfi

2. Microwave Mango Coconut ladoos: This is yet another easy recipe which I learned in my initial days of cooking. Hardly takes few minutes to make but tastes really amazing. Do try if you have mango pulp with you and you love coconut.

Recipe here: Microwave Mango Coconut ladoos

3. Jaggery Sheera: One of the most made sweet in my house as it is my family’s favorite. I used to make Sheera with sugar initially but switched to jaggery many years back and have never looked back. Tastes really delicious!

Recipe here: Jaggery Sheera

4. Dry fruit bites: These are sugar free and very tasty along with being very healthy too. My way to feed dry fruits to my kids which are very beneficial to their growing body if consumed regularly in limited quantity.

Recipe here: Dry fruit bites

5. Nendran Banana halwa with Jaggery: This is the easiest version of the halwa which gets ready within 15 mins. Many of my readers have tried and loved this. It is another way to feed this healthy banana to my kids who love this halwa.

Recipe here: Nendran Banana halwa with Jaggery

6. Mango Kesar pedas: The tastiest pedas you can ever make. Very easy too and gets ready within 15 mins. If you have mango pulp, do try this and you won’t regret it. I love how beautiful they look too.

Recipe here: Mango Kesar pedas

7. Dried Apricot Halwa: Something which I tried to finish off my apricots but came so delicious that this has become our favorite. Too easy to be true kind of recipe. Doesn’t it look royal too? 😀

Recipe here: Dried Apricot Halwa

8. Churmundo | Easy wheat flour jaggery ladoos: These are Konkani people’s all time favorite ladoos. I use jaggery instead of sugar though. Tastes so heavenly that we feel at loss of words when devouring them. So quick to make too.

Recipe here: Churmundo | Easy wheat flour jaggery ladoos

9. Peanut Jaggery ladoos: Needs only two ingredients and hardly takes about 10 mins to make. Very tasty and healthy ladoos too.

10. Til Jaggery Burfi : A very tasty, easy to make sweet made from sesame seeds and jaggery.

11. Ragi Jaggery ladoos: Soft, melt in the mouth delicious ladoos made with Ragi or finger millet and jaggery.

12. Poha Sheera – An easy to make unique sweet from rice flakes or beaten rice that I learnt to make recently which we all loved a lot. Tried and loved by my readers too.

13. Dry fruit Coconut Ladoos: These are a great way to add dry fruits in ladoo form in both your kids’ and your diet. Also free from sugar or jaggery as dates sweetens these ladoos perfectly.

14. Mango Coconut Ladoos : These have to be the tastiest ladoos that I have ever made. Looks so pretty too 😍

15. Godu Phovu / Jaggery sweetened rice flakes – This is the most made sweet in every Konkani household for almost all festivities. So quick to make with very simple ingredients like Poha or thin rice flakes, coconut, jaggery and flavoured with cardamom powder.

In this recipe, I have made Chane usli or seasoned chickpeas with Godu Phovu as it is a very delicious combination.

Recipe here – Godu Phovu

These are the easiest sweet recipes that I have shared. You can check the rest of my healthy desserts like Jaggery Shrikhand, Peanut Ubbattis, Mango mousse, Chocolate Cheesecake, Desi Tiramisu, Bottlegourd jaggery halwa, etc on my Desserts page.

My other compilations:

Oats Recipes Compilation

Healthy Cakes and Cookies recipes Compilation

“No rice” dosa recipes compilation

Variety Idlis Compilation

Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

Desserts, Konkani Recipes

Peanut Ubbatti | whole wheat jaggery holige

November 10, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 4 Comments

Being homebound since many months now, I truly realize the value of our home town visits which were atleast twice a year. Along with that, I really miss the fun meeting my loved ones, the non stop chatter, going to temples, shopping with my cousin and also (importantly) indulging in sweets without a care in the world. 😅😍

I have been an ardent devotee of sweets since a child and my dad knowing that, spoils me to the core when I visit them. My favourite sweets are brought and stored before I come, all awaiting me to devour them 😬. One among them are Kayi holiges or coconut filled sweet Ubbattis which are a speciality of Udupi Shree Venkateshwara sweets near the famous and our dearest Shri Krishna’s temple.

So, when I miss those holiges, I make chapati dough, fill it with coconut and jaggery to make my own “jugad” kind of holiges 😀 which tastes yummy too. As I started making them, I realized I could make different varieties of it and these peanut Ubbattis came into being. It tasted so good that we make it regularly.

So glad to share this recipe. Hope you all try it for Diwali. It’s as easy as making parathas and hope my step by step recipe along with notes will help you all. Happy and healthy cooking.

Also, wishing my readers a very happy Diwali. May the festival of lights brighten your lives and fill it with happiness. ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes 5 Ubbattis }

For the outer dough:

2 Cups Wheat flour/ Atta { I use Pillsbury brand }

About 3/4 Cup Water {to knead the dough}

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder or Haldi

Salt to taste

For the inner filling:

1 Cup Peanuts { skin removed }

1/2 Cup Jaggery

2 Tbsp Water

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

To roll the Ubbatti: Dry wheat flour as needed

Ghee to cook the Ubbatti

Step by step recipe:

1. Add wheat flour, turmeric powder and salt in a bowl. Add water and knead to a soft dough. It took me about 3/4 Cup of water for 2 Cups of flour. Might vary as per your brand. The dough should be soft and smooth. Keep aside.

2. Now take the skinned peanuts in a mixer.

3. Powder it by pulsing it every two rounds. Don’t run the mixer continually as peanuts can leave oil. Just pulse for 4 to 5 times and it will turn into fine powder. If tiny bits of peanuts remain, it’s okay as it gives nice bite to the Ubbatti.

4. Now add jaggery along with water in a pan. Allow jaggery to melt and come to a boil. No need to make it into syrup.

5. Now add the peanut powder and mix once. Switch off the flame after mixing once or the mixture will harden.

6. Transfer it into a plate immediately. Allow it to cool slightly. Don’t cool it completely as it will turn hard. When it is warm, make small balls of it as shown. Also make balls of same size as filling from the wheat dough.

Note: It is important to make both inner and outer balls of equal size so that the Ubbatti turns perfect.

7. Now keep a chapati tawa to heat on the flame. Take a wheat ball and dip in dry wheat flour. Roll to a small Puri (small circle as shown). Keep the inner ball of filling inside.

8. Now take the sides of the wheat dough and cover it over the filling sealing it completely.

9. Roll it using little dry wheat flour to as thin and evenly as possible.

10. Place this over the heated tawa and cook till bubbles appear over the surface. Add ghee over it.

11. Flip and cook for about half a minute adding ghee over that side too.

12. Remove and repeat the same with the rest of the dough.

Notes:

* The water quantity while making the wheat dough can vary with your brand. Just make into a soft and smooth dough. Keep for rest for about 30 mins if you have time. Else it’s fine.

* We get readymade skinned peanuts here and I use that. If you have regular ones, you might need to roast it on low flame, cool it and remove the skin.

* While powdering the peanuts, be careful to not grind continually as it may leave oil. Just pulse and powder it. Even if little bits of peanuts remain, it’s fine. Adds a good crunch to the Ubbattis.

* Don’t make jaggery syrup. Just melt it and bring to a boil.

* Switch off the flame immediately after adding and mixing the peanuts. Else it may turn hard. Also, don’t keep the mixture to cool for long. Make balls when the mixture is still warm.

* Make both the inner and outer dough balls of equal size. Else the Ubbattis may not taste as good or might become like parathas. Making both balls of equal size ensures the outer layer is thin and we get good flavour of the filling.

* As these Ubbattis are kept at room temperature, they turn crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. That’s exactly how we love it. If you love soft Ubbattis, consume them immediately after making it.

* Since it is easy to make, I make it fresh each time. The measurements I have mentioned above yields 5 Ubbattis which are sufficient for us to last a day.

* Also, with the above measurements, I get two balls of wheat dough leftover ie it makes 7 wheat balls. I make chapati with it.