Milk Cream#SundayFunday

A dainty, delicate, taste so good, looks elegant , melt in mouth and is irresistible milk sweet. Milk cream is a must Christmas sweet in every East Indian household. Loved by all - children as well as adults. Its a sweet made with milk, the process is tedious and requires lots of patience but the end product is really worth the effort taken. Again this is another sweet which has no eggs, a complete vegetarian, eggless and gluten free.

Ingredients
A Liter Of Milk - (I used Full Fat milk)
400 Grams Tea Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cashew nut powder
1 Tablespoon Rose water
1 Tablespoon Ghee

Method

In a heavy bottomed base kadai or pan boil the milk and stir continuously till it reduces half of its quantity on a very low flame stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, taking care it doesn't stick to the bottom. 

Add the sugar, continue stirring till the sugar melts and again reduces , half of its quantity.

Now add the cashew powder and keep stirring it continuously, till it thickens, add ghee, continue stirring.

Once it starts leaving the sides take a teaspoon full and check if you can roll it into a soft ball if its rolled easily, the mixture is now ready or when touched does not stick to your hand.

Transfer to the greased plate and before it cools completely.

Form small balls and press into silicon moulds - shapes of your choice.

Take them out of the mold.

Store in a container, 4 to 5 days at room temperature and then refrigerate (not in the freezer).

My Notes

Stir this continuously on very low flame, to achieve a beautiful white color. Do not add too much of cashew powder if you want it white and creamy.

Labels: Christmas Sweet, Gluten free, Cashewnuts, East Indian, Festival Sweets, Milk, Sunday Funday, Indian, Eggless, Candy

• Chocolate Brigadeiros by Karen's Kitchen Stories
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Baked Nevri/Neouri/Nevreos/Sweet Puffs#SundayFunday

These half-moon/ crescent shaped sweet puffs, are filled with sweet filling of rawa, coconut and mixed fruits. Nevris are deep fried pastries a traditional East Indian recipe but these are baked not fried. These turn out great and do not give you the guilt feeling when enjoying these traditional Christmas Sweets!

Makes Around 22 Nevris
Ingredients
For The Dough
300 Grams All Purpose Flour
Salt To Taste
2 Tablespoons Sugar powder
2 Tablespoons Desi Ghee - melted
For The Paste / Satta
4 Tablespoons Ghee - at room temperature
Water As Required
2 Tablespoons Level Rice Flour
For The Filling
200 Grams Fine Rawa / Semolina
50 Grams Desiccated Coconut - optional
150 Grams Sugar powdered or to your taste
1 Tablespoons Khus Khus / Poppy Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg Powder
5 Tablespoons Rose Water
25 Grams Raisins - chopped
25 Grams Cashew Nuts - chopped
2 Tablespoons Desi Ghee
A Pinch Salt

Method
For The Filling

Dry roast the rawa, khus khus and desiccated coconut till it releases a roasted aroma ( do not brown it). Remove this on to a bowl. In the same pan heat the ghee fry the nuts and raisins for a minute. Add the roasted ingredients and fry for 3 -4 minutes on low flame and till releases an aroma. Switch off the flame. Add the nutmeg and sugar powder and rose water. give it a good mix. Keep aside to cool.
till all is well combined
As the filling is cooling, let's make the dough.

In a large bowl sieve the flour. Add the ghee, salt and sugar, with your fingertips incorporate into the flour until it resembles fine crumbs. Then gradually add in little little water at a time to make a soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
Let's make the Paste/Satta

In a small bowl add ghee. Mix the ghee with your palms to make it creamy. Then add rice flour and again mix well. Make a creamy and smooth thick paste. Keep this paste aside.

Let's get back to making the Nevries

Divide the dough into small balls and divide it into equal parts. Divide the dough in same size balls... you should make balls in multiples of 3.   

Roll 3 balls into a medium small chapati. We required 3 chapati's for one batch. Cover the rest of the balls while you are rolling the first one into a circle. Slightly flour these and carefully set them aside. 

Take one and then apply the a thin layer of paste/satta on it evenly one then place another chapati on top again apply paste/satta.

Then again place a another chapati and apply a thin layer of paste/satta on the chapati and roll these into a tight roll to form a long roll (log shaped).

Cut into 1½ - 2" big pieces and keep covered with a damp cloth.

Then take each piece and place the cut side as shown in the pic.

Lightly press it down

roll to make a thick circle. Place a tablespoon or two of the filling, fold it, brush the edges with water. 

The press it edges well or press down the edges with a fork. Place in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat. Set aside and cover with a damp cloth. 

Continue the above with the remaining pieces. 

When the tray is full brush the top with milk.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes of baking change the sides of the tray. When they are baked the edges with brown slightly then keep both the elements on ( top and bottom) and bake for an additional 5 minutes only. 

Cool them completely and store in an airtight container.

These nevries/sweet puffs are amazing.

My Notes

Any leftover filling can be refrigerated for a couple of month. When ready to used, bring it to room temperature. 

Labels: Nevries, Sweet Puffs, East Indian, Baked, Christmas Sweet, Sunday Funday, Karanji

Christmas Bake

A Lemon Kissed Gingerbread Bundt for An Icelandic Christmas Tradition by Culinary Cam    

Baked Nevri / Neouri / Nevreos / Sweet Puffs by Sneha's Recipe    

Chocolate Chip Pie by A Day in the Life on the Farm  

Czech Christmas Bread by Karen's Kitchen Stories  

Holly Jolly Triple Chocolate Cookies by Amy's Cooking Adventures  

Iced Eggnog Chewy Spice Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite A Whiskered Accomplice Krestkransjes, Dutch Christmas Cookies by Mayuri's Jikoni  

Russian Tea Biscuits (not cookies) by Palatable Pastime

Date & Walnut Rolls#SundayFunday

Dates are sweet, dried fruit. Soft buttery rolls stuffed with dates and nuts make a wonderful sweet. This recipe for date roll cookies are quick and easy to make and they have good flavor and texture.
These are actually eggless cookies except for the egg wash which can be avoided if you don't want to use eggs.

Ingredients
200 Grams All Purpose Flour
75 Grams Clarified Butter
60 Grams Powdered Sugar
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
3 -4 Tablespoons Chilled Water or as required
For The Filling
200 Grams Seedless Dates _ minced
50 Grams Walnuts - finely chopped

Method 

For The Filling 

Mix the dates and walnuts together and make a nice roll keep aside.

For The Dough 

Rub clarified butter into flour till it resembles bread crumbs. Add the powdered sugar and essence mix it well into the flour. Now add chilled water just enough bring it into a dough. Do not knead the dough. The dough will be soft and crumbly. Cling wrap it and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Then take the dough and lightly knead it and roll out into ¼ inch thick chapatti.  

Put one strip of walnut and date in and roll (only once or else the covering will get to thick and it will not cook). 

Apply water to seal the edge.

Cut the roll and press the edges lightly to seal it. Like wise make the other roll also. 

Cut into 2 inch squares. 

Place on a well greased baking tray leaving sufficient space between each.

Bake in a pre heated oven bake at 180°C, for 12 to 15 minutes. 

The bottom of the roll should be light golden. Cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

Labels: Cookies, Festival Sweets, Dates, Walnuts, Eggless, Sunday Funday, Christmas Sweet, East Indian, Baked, Vegan, Healthy

Easy Rabdi with Evaporated milk from Cook with Renu
Date & Walnut Rolls from Sneha’s Recipe
Gobi Manchurian from Palatable Pastime

• Kheer from A Day in the Life on the Farm
  Chickpea & Sweet Potato Curry from Mayuri’s Jikoni 
• Baked Gobi 65 from Amy’s Cooking Adventures 
• Two Homemade Breads for Diwali: Pita and Naan from Culinary Cam  

Prawn With Veggies Bafat Without Coconut#SundayFunday

This recipe is made with two East Indian Masalas and is without any coconut. It's quick, easy and tasty too. This pairs well with hot steamed rice or hand bread. 

Ingredients 
300 Grams Cleaned Prawns With Shells
1 Teaspoon Heaped Kacha Masala 
1 Teaspoon Heaped East Indian Bottle Masala
1 -2 Green Chillies - slit
1 Teaspoon Heaped Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt or to taste
1 Tomato - Sliced
1 Medium Onion - sliced
1 Sprig Curry Leaves
1 Medium Potato - quartered
2 Small Brinjals - quartered
4 -5 French Beans
4 -5 Papadi/Broad Beans
1 Small Piece Snake Gourd
3 Tablespoons Oil
1 Tablespoons Tamarind Paste
1 Tablespoon Rice Flour

Method 

Heat oil, add cumin, slit chillies, ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute, later add chopped onions and fry till slightly pinkish in color. Now add the prawns and fry well till the onion turns just a little brown ( don’t fry till dark brown). Add the chopped tomato and fry till soft adding a splash of water.
Once the tomatoes are mushy add potatoes, French beans and and both the East Indian masala with a little water and let the masalas cook till the oil starts separating check and add little more water ( don’t add too much water as we will be adding it in the later stage) if required till the masala gets well sautéed. 

Now add all the veggies and a little water to get the veggies sautéed in the spices for about a minute or two stirring in between. Add the prawns and water enough to make a gravy consistency accordingly. Lightly give this a mix and cook covered for 5 - 7 minutes, stirring in between. Once the veggies and prawns are cooked add the tamarind paste mixed with the rice flour, give it a light mix and let is simmer for 2 - 3 minutes.

Switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Enjoy this with steamed rice or Hand Bread.  

Labels: East Indian, Prawns, Seafood/Fish, Sunday Funday, Main course, Mixed Veggies  

• Sue of Palatable Pastime shares Calabrian Chili Pasta with Shrimp
• Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures serves up Crispy Oven Baked Fries
• Stacy of Food Lust People Love gives us Grilled Octopus with Spinach and Smoky Beans
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm made a Pineapple Shrimp Noodle Bowl
• Sneha of Sneha's Recipe cooks Prawn With Vegetable Bafat Without Coconut  

Beef Mince / Kheema With Vindaloo Masala#Improv

This has a fiery hot color and it tastes awesome. Mouthwatering and delicious, a recipe you must try. This is my mother's recipe, an East Indian dish.

Ingredients
¼ kg Beef Mince
2 Medium Onions - finely chopped
1 Large Tomato - blanched and skinned
1 Large Potato - cubed - optional
Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves for garnishing
3 Tablespoons Oil
Grind To Paste With Vinegar
3 Kashmir Chilies
3 Bedki Chillies
8 Cloves Garlic
1"Piece Ginger
½ Teaspoon Cumin seeds
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric powder

Method

Boil the kashmiri and bedki chillies in sufficient water with a tablespoon of vinegar, till they softened. Cool. Fish out the chillies and then grind with a rest of the ingredients with a tablespoon of vinegar to a fine paste. Add more water from the boiled chillies if necessary and grind to a thick paste. When this is finely ground add the tomato and grind this too along with masala. Keep this aside.

Heat oil in a vessel / pot and add chopped onions. Fry well add the tomato puree fry well add the masala paste and fry for a few minutes more.
Add mince and salt to taste, fry for 2 minutes then add the cubed potatoes with a cup of water and bring this to a boil. Cover and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes or till done. If there is excess gravy then cook it without the lid till it is saucy. This is thick gravy dish. 

Garnish with chopped fresh coriander. enjoy this with Brun Pav or chapatis takes super yum !! 
Labels: Beef, Mince, Improv Cooking Challenge, East Indian, Main course, Vindaloo Masala

For May 2023 in Improv Cooking Challenge the theme is - Meat & Potatoes

Beef Mince / Kheema With Vindaloo Masala from Sneha's Recipe
Smoked Sausage and Potato Skillet from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Potatoes Stroganoff from Palatable Pastime