Ashtami Laddoos

This is usually made during janmashtami ... This is a healthy and a favourite ladoo.  I have made this with Manna health mix, atta ( whole wheat flour ) with jaggery.  Usually made  with the special sticky jaggery which is usually available during the shravan month. (during ashtami and chauthi). But it can be made wih normal jaggery also.

Ingredients :

Groundnuts

Jaggery.

Whole wheat flour

Manna health flour 

Chutney dal

a small bowl of water

half glass of water

cardamom powder

ghee 

Method:

In a kadai, dry roast the groundnuts, till the skin comes off. Remove from fire and rub the groundnuts till the skin is gone. 

In the kadai, add the ghee and when it is hot, add the whole wheat flour and roast on medium flame till a nice smell comes and the flour is nicely roasted.

 Powder the chutney dal and keep.

Now in the kadai, add half cup water and the jaggery and stir occasionally till the jaggery is fully dissolved.  keep on flame till when a drop of the syrup when added to a bowl of water comes together . ( or you shud be able to make a sfot round with it)

Switch off flame immediately and add the flours quickly and also the cadamom pwd and groundnuts.  mix thoroughly .  the quantitiy of flour depends on the jaggery.

Smear your hands with ghee and make laddoos as quickly as possible.  

These laddoos become harder overnight .

Kesaribaath

This is my husband's and son's (not so much) favorite .  I find it a bit difficult to get the right texture tough the procedure is quite simple.  It can also be made as a one pot dish in the cooker!! ( that for another time) 

The recipe is adapted from my aunt's and friend Sandhy N Kamath's recipe. 

One cup basmati rice 

Two cups water ( or enough to cook the rice ) 

One cup sugar

Cinammom 1 inch

Cloves.  4-5 

Cardamom 2

Kesar a few strands soaked in 2tbsp milk

Kesari colour optional a few drops

Cashew and raisins and other dry fruits

Ghee 2- 3 tbsp

Method

Cook rice till just done.

In a kadai take one tbsp ghee and fry the dry fruits and keep aside.

In the same kadai add another half tbsp ghee and when hot add the cardamom, cinamom and cloves.

When it spluttlers add the rice and sugar . Lower the flame and add the kesari milk and colour and stir well till it leaves the side.

Stir in the dry fruits and add the remaining ghee and switch off .

Serve hot !! 

Carrot walnut cake

This is one of my earliest cakes , recipe. Is from the book 'vegetarian menus'. 

Again a simple and easy cake and delicious too ! 

Ingredients : 

eggs : 2

oil 3/4 cup ( i used 2/3 cup)

sugar 1 cup ( or less)

vanilla  : 1/2 tsp

flour  1 cup

soda 1 tsp

carrots grated fine 1 1/2 cup

chopped walnuts 1/2 cup

Method

1.  Beat eggs, oil and sugar

2.  add the other ingredients and fold in.

3.  bake at 180 deg for 40- 45  minutes till done.

NOTE : i added 2 tsps of cocoa pwd. and reduced the oil to 2/3 cup