Firni/Phirni#AlphabetChallenge

Firni / Phirni is a sweet pudding, made by boiling milk, sugar and rice, it's popular creamy sweet dish of India, made for festivals or important occasions/celebrations. The rice used in this sweet dish is coarsely powdered, it has dry fruits and am, sure you will love it.

Ingredients  

500 ML Milk
2 Tablespoons Heaped Basmati Rice 

½ Cup Fresh Cream  

¼ Cup Sugar  

2 Tablespoons Each Almonds & Pistachio - silvered 

½ Teaspoon Cardamom powder
Method 

Wash the rice and soak it for 2 hours.  After that drain all the water in a fine mesh colander and then dry it on a clean cloth  for an hour or so ( it should be slightly wet not completely dry).  After that grind it to a coarse powder. 

Boil milk, add  rice, bring it to boil, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Reduce the flame on medium low and stir continuously. Add more milk if starts to thicken and cook till the rice is done. 

Now add the sugar and again stir till the sugar melts. Then add the fresh cream stir it and switch off flame. Add half of the pistachio and almond slivers, cardamom powder and stir well.  Refrigerate it for few hours.  

Serve  this cold in kullad pots (terracotta clay pots) garnished with pistachio and almond slivers.

Enjoy!!!

Labels : Sweets & Desserts, Firni, Pudding, Rice, Almond, Pistachios, Milk, Festival Sweets, Kullad, Alphabet Challenge

Let's take a look at the recipes being shared today with Alphabet "F"

Jolene’s Recipe Journal: French Onion Soup

Blogghetti: Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Fluffy Focaccia with Garlic Oil and Herbes de Provence

Sneha’s Recipe: Firni/Phirni

Food Lust People Love: Fish Sauce Roasted Chicken

Mayuri’s Jikoni: Fattoush Salad

A Messy Kitchen: Fennel, Tangerine & Olive Slaw

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Roasted Vegetable Farro Bowl

Culinary Cam: Fig Leaf-Wrapped Cheese 

Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Sausage Meatballs with Vodka Fennel Sauce  

Atta Ladoo/Whole Wheat Flour Ladoo#SundayFunday

Atta Ladoo is a popular sweet that is prepared during festivals and winter. It's a rich, made with desi ghee and nuts. It makes a sweet dessert or snack. This is commonly made in every house hold with some variations. It is a simple recipe with few ingredients, but the texture and taste is amazing!

For this ladoo you require coarsely ground whole wheat flour which is also used to make Kada Prashad, this is readily available in the market as Jada (coarse) or Ladoo Atta.

Make 20 to 25 Medium Ladoos
Ingredients
3 Cups Coarsely Ground Whole Wheat Flour
1 ½ Cup Desi Ghee1
½ Cup Bura Sugar / Karara Sugar
¼ Cup Almonds
¼ Cup Cashews
¼ Cup Golden Raisins
1 Teaspoon Cardamom powder

Method

Dry roast atta, in a thick bottom pan, on low medium heat until lightly colored this takes exactly 15 minutes. 

After this keep adding ghee 3 tablespoons at time and continue roasting, stirring continuously, when this is mixed add another few tablespoons of ghee and continue to stir continuously till all the ghee is used. 

Keep stirring on medium low flame till the atta will be light brown and will release a fragrant sweet aroma of roasting. 

This should take about 20 to 30 minutes or till it reaches a brown color and starts leaving ghee.

Once it reaches the desired color take off flame. Remove it it on to a big flat plate to cool. 

Now in the same pan add the almonds and cashewnuts and fry till they are toasted add the rasinis and fry for a minute.
When cooled chop the almonds and cashewnuts.

As you can see the ghee has surfaced on top. At this stage I, used a paper towel and dabbed off all the excess ghee that surfaced as much as possible. I did not want so much ghee in my ladoos. 

Now when the atta is lightly warm add the chopped almonds, cashew nuts, raisins, bura / karara sugar and cardamom powder. With your palms rub it into the atta mix so that all are incorporated nicely.

To make the ladoos, take about 2 - 3 tablespoons of atta mix into your palm. Gently press the mixture between your palms to form a smooth, round ball.

Leave the ladoos on a plate to cool to room temperature before putting into a airtight container. 

These ladoos can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks.

These are so delicious and mouth melting and assure you that you can't stop at one.  
Lables: Ladoo, Atta, Whole Wheat Flour, Desi Ghee, Raisins, Cashewnuts, Almond, Festival Sweets, Christmas, Snack, Sweets & Desserts, Diwali Faral

For Sunday Funday our today's theme is Diwali Party Recipes.  

• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Aloo Tikki
• Sneha’s Recipe: Atta Ladoo / Whole Wheat Flour Ladoo
• Palatable Pastime: Chicken Tikka Nan Pizza 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Chocolate Kalakand 
• Cook with Renu: Condensed Milk Instant Kalakand 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Crunchy Chickpeas Masala
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla : Gulab Jamun 
• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Vegetable Pulao (Indian Rice Pilaf) 

Basil Pesto With Almonds & Walnuts#SundayFunday

Pesto is one of my absolute ultra-flavorful sauces. A great pesto tastes fresh, nutty, garlicky and super delicious. Today, I’m sharing my favorite a pesto recipe with almonds and walnuts. Pesto is the perfect use for your summer garden basil surplus, these leaves are from my kitchen garden.

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
Olive oil as required
3 Cloves Garlic -  minced
Handful of Leaves Basil
10 Toasted Almonds
5 Pieces  Toasted Walnuts
Salt & Black pepper powder to taste
Method

Grind all to a paste in a blender. Remove this into a glass jar. Add olive oil to cover if you want to retain it color in the refrigerator.

Labels: Pesto Sauce, Basil, Walnuts, Almond, Italian, International Cuisine, Sunday Funday, Gluten free 

For our event called Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. Our theme is Pesto Recipe. 

• Avocado Pesto Sandwich by Mayuri’s Jikoni 
• Baked Cod with Asparagus Pesto by Food Lust People Love 
• Basil Pesto With Almonds & Walnuts by Sneha's Recipe 
• Carrot Greens Pesto-Topped Roasted Salmon by Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• Pesto Cavatappi with Meatballs by Amy’s Cooking Adventures 
• Spinach Pesto Pasta by A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Swiss Chard and White Bean Soup with Basil Pesto by Karen’s Kitchen Stories 
• Vegan Mint Pesto by Sizzling Tastebuds

Eggless Tutti Fruity Rawa/Semolina Bundt Cake#BundtBakers

This cake is butter/oil/flour free, yet this is so soft, moist and delicious. Try this cake so simple, just 3 steps, no fancy gadget like an electric hand mixer is needed, only hand whisk and a spatula and mix mix, cake is ready to bake. 

For this you require chiroti rawa/fine semolina. If you have the thicker rawa/semolina that we use to make upma then just pulse it once or twice in the mixer jar and it's ready to use.

1 Cup Measurement = 200Ml
Ingredients
1½ Cups Fine Rava/Semolina
½ Cup Fresh Yogurt - I used home set yogurt
½ Cup Fresh Cream/Single Cream
½ Cup Milk
½ Cup Heaped Chopped Tutti Fruity + Cherries
1 Cup Caster Sugar
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Pineapple Essence
For Garnishing
2 Tablespoons Slivered Pistachios
2 Tablespoons Slivered Almonds
Method

In a bowl add the milk, cream, yogurt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and mix well. 

It will start to froth, cover it and keep aside for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes this mixture will become frothy. 

Now add the rawa/semolina and mix it well. Again cover and keep it aside for 10 - 12 minutes. 

After 12 minutes the rawa/semolina will absorb most the moisture and swell, the batter will become thick.

Add the essence and chopped tutti frutiy and mix well.

Pour this into a greased 7" bundt pan, tap it on counter to remove any air bubbles, sprinkle silvered almonds and pistachios. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 35 - 40 minutes or till a skewer inserted comes out clean. 

Keep it to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then un mold it 

let it cool completely. 

When it's completely cooled 

then only slice it or else it will crumble since this is a soft and moist cake.

This delicious soft and moist Tutti Fruity Rawa/Semolina Bundt Cake.

Enjoy!!

Labels: Semolina, Rawa, Eggless, No Butter, No Oil, Bundt, Cakes, Tutti Fruity, Cherries, Pistachios, Almonds, Fresh Cream

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page

This month my Bundt Baker we are sharing Bundts baked with nostalgic flavors from our childhoods, our host is Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla , thank you for this wonderful theme. Check out the nostalgic flavors from our childhoods Bundts below:

• All Too Sweet Mini Bundts by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Apple Bundt Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cookies and Cream Mini Bundts by Food Lust People Love
• Eggless Tutti Fruity Rawa/Semolina Bundt Cake by Sneha's Recipe
• Honey Cake Inspired Bundt Cake by Magical Ingredients
• Monster B'zert Bundt Cake by Making Miracles
• Strawberry Bundt Cake with Marshmallow Cream Filling by Patyco Candybar
• Sweet Potato Bundt with Cream Cheese Glaze by Sweet Sensations

Doodh Poha/Rice Flakes In Milk#SundayFunday

I love to have a warm, balanced and healthy breakfast. Doodh Poha is one of those easy, quick healthy breakfast to make. Doodh is milk,  Poha is rice flakes. This is a delicacy from the Guajarati and Maharastrian  cuisine, which is a satisfying warm breakfast. 

Serves 2 - 3
Cup 250Ml
Ingredients
500Ml Milk
¼ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Poha/ Rice Flakes
A Pinch Cardamom Powder
A Pinch Saffron Strands
Dry Fruits as per your choice
I used Almond, Pistachios, Figs, Raisins, Apricots

Method 

Wash the poha and drain it in a strainer and keep aside.

In a large sauce pan, boil the milk , when it boils let it simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the sugar and saffron strands, stir till sugar melts. Switch off the flame, add the washed and drained poha. Stir it add rest of the ingredients and let it sit till warm. 

Serve into individual bowls and add the chopped dry fruits. Enjoy this warm, a healthy and delicious breakfast which is also light on the tummy.

Labels: Milk , Poha, Almond, Pistachios, Dried Figs, Golden Raisins, Apricots, Breakfast, Sunday Funday, Sweets & Desserts

In our today's event for Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. I thank our host Rebekah of Making Miracles for this week's event and the theme is "Celebrate Dairy".

• Blackberry Peach Overnight Oats by Palatable Pastime
• Cheesy Eggplant Pork Roast Rolls by Food Lust People Love
• Chocolate Pots de Creme by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Creamy Asparagus Soup with Ham Stock by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Creamy Steak Fettuccine by Making Miracles
• Doodh Poha/Rice Flakes In Milk by Sneha's Recipe
• Fresh Turmeric Chaas by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Homemade Chocolate Pudding by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Peanut Butter & Banana Ice Cream by Cooking With Carlee

Mango Mastani - A Mango Ice Cream Sundae

Mango Mastani is a very popular kind of milkshake, I would say a sundae which originated in Pune and many different flavors of this are also available. It's a rich sundae. 

So delicious and filling, would suggest that have it before lunch, so that you can really enjoy this and skip lunch altogether. That's what me and my hubby did. For two tall glasses I finished a 750 Ml pack of ice cream, so you can see how rich in calories this is.  

Makes 2 Tall Glasses
Ingredients  

3 Medium Alphonso Mangoes
750 ML Vanilla Ice cream or Butterscotch
250 Ml Full Cream Milk - chilled
For Garnishing1 Medium Alphonso Mango
Chopped Almond, Pistachios
Glazed Cherries
Finely Chopped Tutti Frutti

Method 

Peel them mangoes , remove seed and cut it into pieces ( or can use ready to use puree packs or canned mangoes) but this taste more delicious with fresh mangoes.
For garnishing scoop out balls with a small melon scoop.  Use the remaining pulp for the blending.

In a blender jar, add the chopped mangoes, milk and 3 scoops of ice cream ( used butterscotch ice cream). Blend this till smooth.

Mango smoothie is ready, it should be thick yet pourable. 

In a serving glass, add few chopped nuts, a glazed cherry. 

Top it with a scoop of ice cream.  

Now pour a little of the blended mango smoothie.  

Again top it with a small scoop of ice cream and chopped  nuts, tutti frutti, cherries.

 hmm..mm looking so yum..

Again pour the smoothie(leaving space for the ice cream and garnish say ¾ th of the glass).  

Top it with a big scoop of ice cream , a sprinkle of chopped nuts, tutti frutti, glazed cherry and melon balls.  

Serve this immediately with a spoon  or straw.

Enjoy... eat, sip, slurp.... glass of deliciousness.

Labels : Mango, Juices, Ice Cream, Almond, Pistachios, Tutti Fruity, Cherries, Maharashtra