Red Velvet Halwa with Carrots and Roses

The "Red Velvet Carrot halwa" is a variation of very popular "Gajar ka halwa" a famous sweet from India that is relished in winters. Carrot halwa is an excellent source of vitamin A and calcium. Traditionally, this halwa is made by gently heating lots of full cream milk along with carrots and sugar over low flame.

Click Here for a Printable Recipe - My Creative Flavors

In this variation I decided to replace sugar with jaggery and added rose water to make the dish more nutritive and fragrant. Jaggery gives this variation a more Reddish color which is very appetizing.

Ingredients:

Carrots: 2 cups
Dates: 4-5 (optional)
Desi ghee: 5 tsp
Full cream milk : 3 cups
Jaggery powder : 3/4 cup or to taste
Khoa : 1cup
Rose Water: few drops
Saffron strands : few
Cardamom powder: 1/2 tsp
Mixed Nuts: 1/2 cup

Method:
Wash, peel and grate the carrots  by using food processor or electric vegetable chopper.
Heat desi ghee in a thick bottomed skillet and saute the grated carrots for 5 minutes.
Now add full cream milk, sliced dates and cardamom powder into the carrots and let it cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes, till the milk is absorbed and carrots are cooked.
At this stage to the mix, add saffron strands dissolved in milk.
Now add jaggery powder (or brown sugar) and khoa to the carrots and mix gently.

Let it cool down for 5 minutes, then add few drops of rose water/rose essence for fragrance in the halwa.

Garnish with mixed sliced almonds, cashews, raisins and shredded khoa.

Lets us start the new year with this sweet preparation, first offer it to the Gods and then share with family and friends......!!!!!!!

Stuffed Gol-Gappe Chaat

Gol-gappe or Pani-puri and Papris are very popular Indian snacks/appetizers. The Pani-puri is  usually enjoyed with puris dipped in spicy pani/water.  Gol-gappe chaat is a sure shot way to alleviate blue moods. So next time feeling low, homesick or stressed out, give urself a gol-gappa treat.

My favourite way to have golgappa is to  stuff it  with crumbled bhalla/vada or with sprout chaat. As I mentioned earlier in my blog, that sprouts are very healthy, so I usually stock up plenty of them in my kitchen. You can also make pani-puri at home, but I go for easy way by taking "Haldirams Golgappas", easily available at indian grocery stores. For this we need a few things like -

Ingredients:
Gol-gappe: 6-8
Sugar: 1tsp

Yogurt: 1 cup

For stuffing:

Bhalla: 2
Moong dal sprouts: 1/2 cup
Potatoes: 1 (boiled)
Sev-bhujia: 1/4 cup
Boondi: 2-3 tsp
Grapes: few
Chopped coriander, ginger : 1tsp
Salt, Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp
Tamarind/Corainder chutney: 2 tsp (Click to see my recipe !)

 Click here for Printable Recipe - My Creative Flavors

Method:
Here I am making two kinds of stuffing, you can try both or just one as desired.
Crumble a Bhalla, add salt, roasted cumin powder, finely chopped ginger, coriander, potatoes, sev bhujia and boondi.
Gol-gappas are very delicate so carefully make a small hole by poking with fingers and fill it with bhalla stuffing.
Whisk the yogurt by adding some milk, (if required) and add sugar and salt.
Pour yogurt on the gol-gappas and top it with sevbhujia and grapes, share and enjoy !

Another way of eating gol-gappe is to make a filling of moong dal sprouts (microwave for 2 minute or parboiled). Add diced boiled potato, cilantro and salt. Mix it well and fill in the gol-gappas. Dip it in spicy pani of mint and tamarind, pour yogurt and simply galop in one go....!

When we went to India earlier this year, my son had a daily gol-gappa date with his Naanu (Grand Pa). My little son is a great great fan of the gol-gappa chaat. So I keep most of the dry ingredients handy in my kitchen, so doesn't take much time to fill and garnish.

We enjoyed it this evening, hope you enjoy it tomorrow....!!!!!!!!

Tacos with Moong Dal Sprouts

Whenever I'm not in a mood to do elaborate cooking for a meal, I like to do a Re-mix with whatever is available in my kitchen.  Today I decided do some Mexican with a dash of Indian. It is a well known fact that Sprouted beans are a superb source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and have very high protein content.

Most of the times I have these ready in my kitchen as these can be used to make quite a few dishes, like;

Sprouts Chaat or Salad - by adding chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumbers for snack
Sprouts in Tomato shells - by filling it in canopies along with cream cheese for the party
Sprouts Sandwich - by layering it on top of bread slice with cheese slice for kids lunchbox
Sprouts Parantha - by making a stuffing of par boiled sprouts.

Make: 5 mins, Serves: 2-3

Click Here for Printable Recipe - my Creative Flavors

This is how we do it.... 

Ingredients: -

Taco shells : 2- 4

Moong Dal (green lentils) Sprouts: 1 cup

Bell peppers: 1

Tomatoes: 1

Shredded Cheddar Cheese : 1/2 cup

Salt : 1/2 tsp

Cilantro chutney or Salsa: Your choice

Method:-

For making lentil sprouts,

Soak moong dal in warm water for 6-8 hours. 

Drain the water and put the lentils in a sprout maker for overnight. 

Next morning you can see shoots of the dal sprouts coming out. 

Incase you don't have a sprout maker, you can tie the lentils in moist muslin cloth and hang them in a warm moist place overnight. 

Now let's make our Tacos,

Lets us start by making the fillers. 

Make the basic filler mix by tossing boiled sprouts, finely chopped bell peppers , tomatoes in a bowl.

Add a dash of oregano and salt.

First to go in the Taco shell is the layer of this sprouted lentils filler mix.

Second layer is normally "Shredded Mexican style cheese"

Third layer is Salsa.... (Incase I have Cilantro-Mint Chutney it replaces salsa).

Instead of sour cream I top these up with a bit of "Light Butter Milk Ranch" dressing.

All Set......Serve these Healthy & Yummy Tacos with Nachos & Bowl of hot soup.

Til Bhugga Pinni or Til Ke Laddoo

Featured on "Foodbuzz Top 9"

"Til Bhuga Pinni" also known as till ke laddoo is one of the most special eats of winters in North India. It is enjoyed  on the "Festival of Lohri" over Bonfire on 13th Jan every year along with Peanut and Sesame brittle / Gajjak.  The key ingredient of bhugga pinni is sesame seeds, which are lightly roasted over low heat and rolled with milk powder, sugar and nuts. Sesame seeds may be the oldest condiment known to man dating back to as early as 1600 BC.The sesame seeds, also called til in India are loaded with nutrition, copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber.  The whole seeds adds crunch to laddoos and breads, while the sesame oil is highly valued in healthy cooking.


Wiki definition of Khoa (also khoya) is, a milk food widely used in the Punjabi cuisine, made of either dried whole milk or milk thickened by heating in an open iron pan. It is similar to ricotta cheese, but lower in moisture and made from whole milk instead of whey.

Khoa - is made by reducing milk in an open pan over low heat.

To get the nutritive benefits of sesame in our sweets, let's give this super easy recipe a go !


Ingredients: -
Sesame seeds: 1 cup
Pistachio,Raisins: few 
Khoa : 1/2 cup (easily available at indian grocery stores, else use 1/4 milk powder & 1/4 Condensed Milk)
Cardamom powder : 1 tsp
Sugar: 1/2 cup or add more to taste
Coconut powder: 2 tsp, optional for dabbing the balls

The Right Ingredients...

Method: -

In a deep skillet, dry roast the white sesame seeds on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. 
Let it cool down and coarsely ground in blender or mortar/pestle in small batches. 
Lightly warm up the khoa for less than 2 minutes over gas stove or in a microwave safe bowl for 15 seconds. 
Add sugar, cardamom powder, khoa, slivered nuts, followed by sesame seeds.
Mix all the ingredients well. 
Divide the mixture into equal parts and make  small ladoos/pinni. 
This stage is optional, roll the balls in either roasted sesame seeds or coconut powder. 

Garnish with pistachio or any nut of your choice. 
Its good to warm the pinnis for 10 seconds in a microwave before eating. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - by My Creative Flavors

Enjoy the pinnis with family and friends.... ! 

Feeling the Blues ???

Decorate with few roasted sesame seeds, raisins and share !!!!!

Add Taste to your Festive Moods !!!

Let me know how you like it !!!

Brussels Sprout Platter with Paneer Cheese

From some time now I had been thinking of making a new type of mixed veg platter, but didn't feel like using traditional mixed veggies of cauliflower, carrots and peas. So I tried mixing assorted veggies of similar shape and size, all small and round over here. I picked up few pieces of these following from my supermarket and sauteed them together. It was really quick and simple and just took me less than 10 minutes to make  this healthy and mouthwatering platter of mixed vegetables.

Cook : 10mins , Serves : 2-3

Ingredients: -
Brussel sprouts: 8-10
Paneer chunks: 8-10
Pearl Onions: 8
Peas, Corn : 1/2 cup
Cherry Tomatoes: 5-6
Baby Potatoes: 5-6
Salt, Chilli, Turmeric: 1/2 tsp or to taste
Thai curry masala: 1/2 tsp

Method:

Wash and clean all the veggies. heat two tsp of Olive oil in a nonstick pan, stir fry pearl onions for 2-3 minutes. 

Now add baby potatoes, brussel sprouts (I prefer to slit into two halves, for even cooking), paneer chunks and stir for another 5 minutes. 

Finally mix peas and corn along with the seasoning to taste. 

Simply toss few cherry tomatoes right before serving to maintain its firmness.

Our dish is ready to served with hot Roti along with bowl of lentils.

Light Roasted Pearl Onions in Parsley

Cooks : 5 min,  Serves : 2-3

This is my twist to a regular "Do Piaza" kind of recipes, only difference here is that - its made with nothing else but pearl onions  & I added a dash of Parsley to enhance flavor of Garam masala !

Ingredients:
Pearl Onions/Shallots: 10-12
Parsley Flakes: 1 tsp
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Chilli Flakes: a pinch
Black Pepper : 1/4 tsp
Olive oil : 1 tsp
Bay Leaves: 2
Cabbage leaves : 2

Method:
Take a nonstick pan, drizzle it with Olive oil and let the oil heat up for 2 minutes. 
Add bay leaves, give it a quick stir and toss pearl onions or shallots in the pan. Don't overcook, else the onions will loose its firmness and start breaking off. 
Add desired seasoning of salt, chilli, freshly grounded pepper and parsley flakes (can also try dry fenugreek flakes). 
Lightly roast the onions for 3-4 minutes and take it off the gas stove. Serve hot in either firm cabbage or lettuce leaves. 


These go really well with Lacchha Parantha  and a bowl of lentils !!!!!

Tangy Chana (Chickpea) Chaat

Time : 10 min, Serves : 3-4

Chana Chat is one of my all time favorites, easily fits into any menu be it a party or a quick snack for young ones. Here's how we do it...

Ingredients: -

Chickpeas: 1 cup

Onions: 1

Tomatoes: 1

Ginger Juliens: 1 tsp

Cilantro: Handful

Tamarind chutney: 2 tsp

Salt, chilli : 1/2 tsp

Chaat masala: 1tsp

Garam Masala: 1/2tsp (Find how to make Garam masala at home in my Tips & Tricks section)

Tea bag: 1 (optional)

Fresh Lime: 1/2

Method:

Soak white chickpeas in warm water for 2 hours. Steam the channas well by adding a spoonful of salt. I prefer dropping a black tea bag while boiling channas, this gives it nice brownish shade. Drain the channas in a sieve, with no water. The water can be later to make other curries or used as a soup. 

Take out chickpeas in a separate bowl. Add small sized sliced onion, tomatoes, ginger juliens, tamarind chutney  and masalas to taste and mix gently. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and lime juice. 

Indeed a simple recipe, without any oil.

Enjoy  Channa Chaat with Methi Kulcha/Pau's on weekend suppers.... !!!!!!

Dahi Vada

Time: 20 minutes Serves:1-2

Yogurt Dumplings or Dahi vada also called bhalla in some states, is perhaps  one of the most conventional favourite snack in India. These super soft melt in mouth dumplings can be enjoyed with main course dinner or as a starter when paired with papris, and is called bhalla - papri chaat. The crumbled bhallas can be added to stuff golgappas and makes another type of chaat. Generally people make vadas with urad daal alone, but I like mixing the two daals in equal proportion. So here are my vadas stuffed with nuts and dipped in yogurt.

Ingredients:

Yellow Moong dal: 1/2 cup

Urad dal: 1/2 cup

Ginger julliens: 1tsp

Cilantro: 1tsp

cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp

Chopped peanuts, cashews : 4-5 tsp

Salt: 1tsp

Baking Powder: a pinch

Yogurt: 1 cup

Sugar, Salt: 1/2 tsp

Tamarind chutney: 1tsp

Cilantro Chutney: 2tsp

Sev: for garnishing

Method:

Soak urad dal and moong dal in water overnight. Drain the water and grind the dals to make a thick paste  by adding little water in the mixer. Mix salt, cumin seeds, finely chopped cilantro, chopped nuts. Stir the batter well and add baking powder just before its ready for frying.

Heat oil in a deep pan, take a small ball of the batter in your hands and drop it one by one in the oil. Slightly wet your hands to avoid the batter sticking to hands . Deep fry the vadas till golden brown on all the sides, slightly wet your hands to avoid the batter sticking to hands. I prefer using ice cream scooper to pour the batter of equal size in the oil, else use  plastic sandwitch bag to make vadas and gently drop it in oil. Take out the vadas and soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes till they become soft. Squeeze the vadas, to take out the excess water and add to the yogurt as required.

Whisk the yogurt with little milk, add sugar and salt to taste. Add vadas and leave it for 10 minutes. The vadas will soak some yogurt and will become larger in size. Now add more yogurt if need be and garnish with roasted cumin powder, tamarind and cilantro chutneys, sev puri. A handful of pomegranate seeds and sliced nuts can also be added for garnishing.

Pickled Pearl Onions

I love mini vegetables and often like to pickle my little gherkins, red radishes, carrots and pearl onions. Freshly pickled pearl onions are crunchy and perfect to be tossed in to a salad, they can also be stir-fried and tucked inside sandwiches or served as a side dish.

Ingredients:

Pearl Onions : 15-16
Vinegar: 1/2 cup
Salt : 1 tsp or to taste
Red Chilli Powder: 1/4 tsp
Pepper Corns : 8-10
Green Chillies: 2
Ginger Juliens: few

Pick round and small onions, they look the cutest......

Couldn't resist taking a few pics.....

Heres how we do it....

METHOD:
Take the skin off your pearl onions .
I used red pearl onions you can use any, white or red.
Wash the onions and pat them dry with kitchen towel.

In a bowl, throw pearl onions and add vinegar, salt, chilli powder, cut green chillies and peppercorns. 

Toss'em well. 

Can also add ginger julliens, chilli flakes and a dash of all spice masala to pearl onions, if desired. 

Shake well and store in air tight glass jar.

Fresh pickled onions are ready.
For best results let them sit in the vinegar juice for a couple of hours before serving.

Pickled onions goes well with Pooris (fried indian bread) and Naan breads... !!!!!

Gajjak - Almond Peanut Brittle with Jaggery

Peanut Gajjak or Chikki

It was freezing cold outside. I was craving to have peanut gajak, my husband suggested easier to give it a try at home rather than driving to indian grocery store. He was right, in less than 15 minutes, both of us were enjoying gajak with our evening tea. Though couldn't get perfect shape at home in the first go, it tasted much better than store bought. Perhaps we were in love with our home made gajak. I can say that its one of the easiest sweet to make at home. One can easily indulge in this sweet as made up of jaggery and peanuts, both very healthy ingredients.

INGREDIENTS :
Peanuts: 1/2 cup
Jaggery powder (Coarse Brown Sugar): 1 cup
Desi Ghee : 2 tsp
Cardamom powder : 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds : 1tsp
Almonds/Cashews : 1/4 cup, optional

METHOD:
Dry roast the peanuts in a nonstick pan.
Now add almonds and roast for another 2 minutes.
Let the peanuts/almonds cool down and take off the skin from the peanuts.
Roughly break the peanuts and almonds into two halves.
Prepare a tray by layering it with  silver foil, spray oil to set in the chikki.
I greased saucer plates to get round chikkis of equal size.
I forgot to layer it with foil, but you should do it to save the hassel of cleaning.

Heat desi ghee in a non stick skillet and add jaggery powder.
Keep stirring continuously on low heat  till the jaggery melts and changes color to light golden brown. Add lightly crushed fennel seeds, cardamom powder, peanuts and almond halves in to the paste.
Give all the ingredients a quick stir and pour the jaggery/brittle paste on the foil/saucers, observing caution as its too hot.
Press the chikki with the back of steel ladder/rolling pin to make a thin layer.
Let the chikkis dry for a while, cut it in desired shape when still warm with pizza cutter or knife.

Voila, home made peanut brittle/ gajjak/ chikki is ready... !

Share and enjoy jaggery brittle with family and friends.... !!!!!!