ALMOND ELAICHI SANDESH | HOW TO COOK SANDESH AT HOME | SANDESH RECIPE

On the eve of Nandotsava, here’s presenting Almond Elaichi Sandesh, sandesh cooked with almonds flavoured with cardamom. This sandesh recipe can be cooked easily with chena , sugar and Cardamom, ingredients mostly available at home.

Nandotsava, festival celebrated the day after the festival Janmashtami. It is believed that all the villagers of Braj visited Nand Baba’s house to see little Krishna and congratulate Mata Yashoda.

Sandesh is very popular in West Bengal. Mostly cooked with chena,sugar , this sweet delicacy has now many variants like Aam Sandesh, pineapple sandesh.

This Almond Elaichi Sandesh is very easy to cook.

• Cuisine – Indian
• Course – Dessert
• Prep time -10 minutes
• Cooking time -20 minutes
• Author Tina

HOW TO COOK ALMOND ELAICHI SANDESH AT HOME

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 litre Milk
• 10-15 Spoon Milk Powder
• 6 Lemons
• 6-8 Cardamom Pods
• 200 gm Crystal Sugar
• 10-12 Almond( Chopped)

YIELDS-15

1. Pour Milk in a bowl. Let it boil.

2) Cut lemons into half. Squeeze the juice from the lemon in a bowl. ( Using lemon in milk curdling is the best option,as it gives a nice aroma to the curdled milk)

3) Put the juice in the milk, as soon milk starts boiling

4) Stir slowly so that the juice gets mixed with the milk. Generally milk curdles as soon lime juice is added.

5) Prepare some extra juice in case needed.

6) As soon greenish whey is visible, extract the chana/chena from it.

7) Drain out the excess water from the chana/chena.

8) Put a bowl/pan in oven. Put the chana/ chena in it. Add 4-6 spoon Milk Powder.

9) Start mixing. Mash them with a spatula so that no lumps are formed.

10) Continue mixing for 4-5 minutes.Stir continuously so that, chena doesn’t get stick to bottom of the pan.

11) Add 200 gm Crystal Sugar. (Using crystal sugar in making sweets is wonderful, as the mixture becomes less runny , also sugar need time to dissolve, crystal sugar dissolves easily)

12)Crush cardamom pods with mortar-pestle and put it in pan.

13)Mix them throughly. Then add half of the chopped almonds.

14)With a spatula mix everything. Make sure to cook this phase in low flame. Stir continuously so that chena doesn’t get stick to the pan.

15) Take a plate, brush ghee/butter on it. Transfer the chena on the plate.

16) Add milk powder as much needed ( here I have used 6 spoon of milk powder)

17) Start kneading. Knead well but don’t dry out the mixture.

18) Apply dollops of ghee on both palms. Make chena ball with palm, flatten them. Put single slice of chopped almond on each.

Keep it in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes( Cover it otherwise Sandesh will become dry )

ENJOY!!

HAPPY NANDOTSAVA

GULGULA RECIPE | HOW TO COOK GULGULA | RAKHI SPECIAL SWEET RECIPE

An extremely popular sweet recipe cooked with wheat flour. This crispy soft and fluffy balls are easy to cook. Often regard as Indian version of fried doughnuts, this dish is also called pua.

On the eve of Rakhsha Bandhan, this quick and easy to cook recipe is ideal for your loved ones. Any celebration is incomplete without sweet. Let’s celebrate Rakhi with a yummy bowl of GULGULA.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 CUP All Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 4 Tablespoon Soya Oil
• 1 Cup Semolina
• 2 Tsp Saunf/ Fennel Seeds
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• Siya Oil to fry

HOW TO COOK GULGULA (STEP BY STEP WITH PHOTOS)

1)Take flour, semolina in a bowl.

2) Add the 1 tsp Fennel Seeds and 1 tsp Baking Powder.

3)Add 1 Cup Sugar.

4)Add the oil.

5)Mix everything.

6) Add water slowly and start kneading the dough.

7) As the dough gets ready, set it aside for 30 minutes. The dough shouldn’t be too soft nor too hard.

8) After 30 minutes, make small balls from the dough.

9) Put oil in pan. Put the balls for frying.

10) Take the balls out once the balls become golden brown colour outside and crispy and soft inside.

GULGULA is ready to serve!!

MISHTI ALUR PANTUA| SWEET POTATO GULAB JAMUN RECIPE | HOW TO COOK GULAB JAMUN WITH SWEET POTATO

With Ulto Roth around the corner, I thought of sharing this delicious sweet recipe. Gulab Jamun is a very popular sweet. It can be cooked with chana(curdled milk), khoya or milk powder. In fact , I have even cooked Gulab Jamun with Chire(flattened rice). Also I have cooked Gulab Jamun with Semolina and milk powder. This version of Gulab Jamun is my mother’s favourite.

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

HOW TO COOK SWEET POTATO GULAB JAMUN (STEP BY STEP WITH PHOTOS)

Peel off the skin of sweet potatoes(300gm). Boil them. Take the potatoes out on a plate.

Add 4-6 spoon Rice Flour. Add 1 tsp Baking Powder.

Mix everything and knead dough.

Make small balls out of the dough. Stuff each ball with 1 sweet ball.

Put refined oil in pan. Fry the Gulab Jamun.

Prepare sugar syrup by boiling 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Boil till sugar dissolves.

Soak the fried gulab jamun in the sugar syrup for 10-15 minutes.

Transfer to a plate and enjoy hot Gulab Jamun.

RECIPE CARD FOR SWEET POTATO GULAB JAMUN

INGREDIENTS (YIELDS-10)

300 gm Sweet Potato

4-6 Spoon Rice Flour

100 gm Sweet Balls

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Water

HOW TO COOK SWEET POTATO GULAB JAMUN

Peel off the skin of sweet potatoes. Boil them.

Take the potatoes out on a plate. Add 4-6 spoon Rice Flour.

Mix everything. Knead the dough.

Make small balls out of the dough. Stuff the balls each with 1 sweet ball.

Fry the gulam jamun in refined oil.

Add 1 cup water in a bowl. Add 1 cup sugar. Boil till sugar dissolves in the water.

Put the fried Gulab Jamun in the sugar syrup. Let it soak for 15 minutes

Serve hot Gulab Jamun

BALUSHAHI RECIPE| HOW TO COOK BALUSHAHI AT HOME

Balushahi – A traditional Indian sweet that is soft and flaky from inside and crispy from outside. Cooking halwai style BALUSHAHI at home is easy. Though this is the first time, I cooked this recipe at home. This is a time consuming recipe. The entire cooking needs 1 hour to more than one hour. The cooking needs you to fry Balushahi batchwise, that too you can’t put many pieces together at a time. Though cooking needs lot of time, it’s worthy. When you will take a bite, your entire fatigue will run away. Have you cooked this yet?

Balushahi – a famous North Indian sweet. You can easily get them at any sweet shop. Now it’s easy to cook this crispy flaky sweet at home.

What is Balushahi

A crispy flaky sweet that are also called as Indian doughnuts, but taste and texture of Balushahi is way different from doughnuts.

Tips

Fry Balushahi in low heat, so that it gets cooked from inside, otherwise on cooking in high flame, it gets browned from outside but stays raw inside.

HOW TO COOK BALUSHAHI (STEP BY STEP RECIPE WITH PHOTOS)

Take 1/4 cup ghee and 1/4 curd in a bowl. Whisk it.

Pour the all purpose flour in the same bowl. Add 1/2 tsp baking powder.Start kneading till maida starts crumbling.

Then add warm water and finish kneading.

Make small balls from the balushahi dough. Roll gently and lightly between palms. Then make an indent or depression.

Put refined oil in pan. Heat the oil, then lower the flame. Put the balushahi one by one. Don’t overcrowd the pan. As balushahi tends to become fluffy on frying, keep space in pan. Make a batch of 4-5 Balushahi at a time.

When one side firms up, turn them over. In this way, fry all the balushahi batch after batch. Each batch frying requires 20-25 minutes

Prepare sugar syrup- Add one cup sugar in 1 cup water. Boil them till the consistency of the syrup becomes sticky. Then add the warm Balushahi in the syrup. Rest it in the syrup for 10-15 minutes. Take them out.

RECIPE CARD FOR COOKING BALUSHAHI

Cuisine – Indian

Course – Dessert

Prep time -30 minutes Cooking time -1 hour Total time – 1 hour 30 minutes

AUTHOR – Tina

INGREDIENTS

Ghee -1/4 cup

Curd -1/4 cup

Maida – 2 cup

Baking Powder -1/2 tsp

Sugar -1 cup

Water -1 cup(For syrup)

Warm water for kneading

Refined oil for frying

YIELDS -10 PIECES

HOW TO COOK BALUSHAHI

Take a bowl. Add the ghee, curd and whisk it.

Add flour in the same bowl. Start mixing till maida starts crumbling.

Add warm water and knead the dough. Set it aside after kneading.

Then take balls out of the dough. Roll them gently and lightly between palms. Make an indent or depression in them.

Put refined oil in pan. Put the balushahi one by one. Put 4-5 pieces together at a time.

When one side firms up, turn them over. In this way, fry them batch after batch.

Put sugar and water in a bowl and prepare sugar syrup by boiling it.

Put the warm balushahi one by one in the syrup. Rest them for 15 minutes. Take them out and serve.

PURI STYLE KHAJA RECIPE| Cook Khaja at home

KHAJA is a part of “Sukhila Prasad” in Puri Jagannath temple. A sweet dish prepared from Maida is Lord Jagannath’s favourite. Now it’s easy to cook Khaja at home. This juicy lip smacking Khaja can be cooked with few ingredients.Since it is a good keeper, KHAJA can be stored in an airtight container up to two weeks.

Every time we visited Puri, we have offered this khaja to Lord Jagannath. So this recipe helmed and created by my mother is surely lip smacking.

TIPS

Use ghee/refined oil for frying.

Number of chapati -4/5 . Not less than 4 Otherwise the khaja will lack it’s signature layers.

STEP BY STEP RECIPE WITH PHOTOS

Take the flour in a bowl. Add pinch of salt and oil (4-5 spoon)and knead the dough. Knead only with oil till flour starts crumbling. Then add water(warm water) and finish kneading.Let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

Make small balls.

Take a ball and roll it into chapati. Like this make 4 more chapatis.

Take a platform. Place the first chapati. Rub ghee/refined oil on the chapati. Sprinkle maida . Then place the next chapati on top. Like this arrange the chapatis and form a log.

Cut the log into pieces of equal size.

Now again roll these pieces using pin.

Put ghee/ refined oil in pan. Fry these khajas.

Prepare sugar syrup by boiling water and sugar. Add 1-2 green cardamom pods to make the syrup flavourful.

Now add the fried khajas in sugar syrup.

Let it soak in syrup for 2-3 minutes. Then take the khajas out.

RECIPE CARD FOR PURI STYLE KHAJA

Cuisine – Indian

Course – Dessert

Prep time -20 minutes Cooking time -20 minutes Total time -40 minutes

Author – Tina

INGREDIENTS

Maida/ All purpose flour -4 cups

Salt pinch

Refined oil to fry and kneading

For syrup

Sugar -2 cups

Water -1 cup

HOW TO COOK PURI STYLE KHAJA

Take maida in a bowl. Add 4-6 spoon refined oil. Knead till maida starts crumbling. Then add hot water and finish kneading. Rest it for 15-20 minutes.

Then make small balls out of the dough.

Make chapatis from the balls.

Take a platform. Place one chapati. Rub ghee/refined oil on the chapati. Sprinkle maida. Place the second chapati. Like this make a log of 5 chapatis.

Cut the log into equal size pieces.

Roll them again.

Put refined oil/ghee in pan. Fry the khajas.

Prepare sugar syrup. Dip the khajas in sugar syrup for maximum 3 minutes. Take them out. It’s ready!!

CHIRER PANTUA| COOK GULABJAMUN WITH FLATTENED RICE|PANTUA RECIPE

In Kolkata, Pantua is very popular sweet. Mostly Pantua or Gulab Jamun as you say is mostly cooked with khoya. But in this recipe I have used chire or flattened rice to cook this recipe of pantua. You can easily cook this recipe if you have chire/ flattened rice at home. Cooking of this recipe requires only two major ingredient- chire/flattened rice and sugar. It’s very easy to cook.

Flattened rice originates from Indian subcontinent. Rice is perboiled before flattening so that it can be consumed with very little oil. You can even consume it without cooking. These flakes of rice swell when added to liquid whether hot or cold,as they absorb water or any other liquid.

Image source ( Google)

It is also called Beaten Rice not to be confused with poha. In Kolkata it is mostly called Chire. It is used as a common breakfast ingredient in our kitchen for kids and elderly person. I remember my grandfather relishing a bowl of chire dipped in milk in his breakfast.

Gulab Jamun is a classic Indian sweet made with Chana and sugar syrup. This is the traditional preparation where Chana is the main ingredient. But this recipe of mine has Chire or Flattened rice as the main ingredient.

With lockdown all around the world, we are trying to use our resources rationally. In this recipe you don’t need milk at all also you don’t need milk powder. But you can enjoy luscious gulab jamun even then.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

Chire / Flattened rice is a good source of essential vitamins minerals and antioxidants.

STEP BY STEP RECIPE WITH PHOTOS

Take chire or Flattened rice on a plate or in a bowl. Wash them thoroughly. Then start mashing them with your hand. Knead till lump starts forming.

This requires 10-15 minutes

Now put oil in pan. Make small balls out of the chire/ flattened rice dough. Fry them in oil.

Size depends on you.

Fry them till the ball becomes golden outside.

Put sugar and water in a bowl. Let it boil. Now soak these balls in the sugar syrup.

Take the Gulab Jamun out of the syrup after few minutes. It’s ready.

RECIPE CARD FOR GULAB JAMUN WITH FLATTENED RICE

Cuisine – Indian/ Bengali

Course – Dessert

Prep time -10 minutes Cook time – 15 minutes. Cooking time -25 minutes

Chef 👩‍🍳 Tina

INGREDIENTS

Chire / Flattened rice – 250 gm-300 gm

Sugar -1 cup

Water -1 cup(2-3 spoons less)

(Measurement always depend on the requirement)

YIELDS -15-20 JAMUN

HOW TO MAKE GULAB JAMUN WITH FLATTENED RICE

Take a plate/ bowl. Put the flattened rice in the same. Wash them thoroughly. Start mashing it hand.

Make balls out of dough.

Put oil in pan. Fry the balls till they are golden outside.

Put sugar and water in a bowl. Boil them.

Put the fried balls in the sugar syrup.

Take them out after few minutes.

GULAB JAMUN- How to Cook Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun – A milk-solid-based sweet from the Indian subcontinent, popular in India,Nepal, Pakistan, Maldives and Bangladesh as well as Myanmar.

It is mainly made from milk solids, traditionally khoya was the main ingredient, which is milk reduced to consistency of a soft dough. Modern recipes call for dried/powdered milk instead of khoya.

Homemade gulab jamun usually made from milk powder and all purpose flour, kneaded to a dough and then fried and tossed in a simmering sugar syrup.

Pantua- A popular Bengali sweet is very similar to gulab jamun.

INGREDIENTS

Milk Powder-9 TSP. Semolina. -1/2 TSP. Flour. -3 TSP. Milk pinch and curd -1/2 TSP for kneading

Dry Ingredients

Take all the dry ingredients in one plate. Put the curd and milk (as much needed to knead) and knead the dough.

Make small balls out of the dough.

Pour oil in pan. Fry the balls.

After frying set them aside.

PREPARATION OF SUGAR SYRUP

Take equal amount of sugar and water. Here I have taken 1 cup sugar and water. Put in a bowl and boil it.

Put the fried balls in the sugar syrup.

It’s ready!!

GULAB JAMUN RECIPE

🔗 COURSE – DESSERT. 🔗 CUISINE – INDIA. ⏳PREP TIME -10 MINUTES. ⏳COOK TIME – 20 MINUTES ⏲️ TOTAL TIME -30 MINUTES. 🍽️ SERVINGS -2. 👩‍🍳 AUTHOR- TINA

INGREDIENTS. Milk Powder-9 TSP. Semolina. -1/2 TSP. Flour. -3 TSP. Milk and curd (as much needed to knead) Sugar and water (equal amount) for sugar syrup.

HOW TO MAKE GULAB JAMUN

Take all the dry ingredients in one plate. Put the milk and curd and knead the dough. Make small balls out of the dough. Fry them. Take the sugar and water and boil them. Add the fried balls in the sugar syrup . Take them out after few minutes. Ready!

SUKHDI RECIPE| How to Cook Gujarati Gol Papdi

Sukhdi is an Indian style sweet made from wheat flour and jaggery in ghee. It’s a snack like biscuit available in Gujarati household.

Type – Confectionery.

Sukhdi made from wheat flour and jaggery in ghee has good nutritional value. It’s a good snack for children.

INGREDIENTS

Wheat flour – 1 cup. Ghee -1/2 cup. Jaggery. -1 cup

Cooking steps

Take a pan. Put the ghee and then add the wheat flour.

Fry them.

Then add the jaggery.

Mix everything.

Take a plate, grease with ghee. Then transfer it to the plate.

Now there’s a twist in the shape. Instead of cutting like barfis these are made like balls.

Kamala Bhog – How to cook suji in orange juice

Suji or Semolina is a very popular Bengali breakfast. We even cherish it in our lunch boxes. But I have given a twist to our regular suji.

INGREDIENTS Suji – 6-8 spoons Sugar – as much as the suji Milk – as much needed. Orange juice -1 /2 cup Ghee

COOKING STEPS Put ghee in pan. Add the suji . Fry them.

After few minutes, add sugar.

As sugar melts, add milk as much needed.

Toss for few more minutes. Add the orange juice.

Kamala Bhog
Bengali's popular suji with a twist#Bengali #Kolkata #cookingtips #YouTuber #YouTube pic.twitter.com/cq3frdzgfN

— Tina (@theheliophile) March 13, 2020

GAJAR KE LADOO

How to have some healthy dose on festive eve 🥰 Today’s recipe is Gajar Ke Ladoo.

INGREDIENTS Key ingredients are Chana ( curdled milk ) And Carrots (grated). Also Gur and pinch of salt.

COOKING STEPS. Sieve out Chana (curdled milk).

Then transfer it on a plate. Also take carrots and grate them.

Now blend the grated carrots into smooth paste.

Mix it with Chana and Gur(jaggery). Take a kadai. Brush ghee on it. Then put the entire mixture in the kadai. Stir them in high flame till mixture tightens.

As mixture gets ready, transfer to a plate.

Now obtain small balls out of it. Cool it in freezer for 30 minutes.

Ready to take a bite 😋

Sweet pea balls. Matar ki mithai | How to Cook sweets with peas

SERVINGS -4 COURSE – DESSERT

Preparation time -10 mins Cooking time -15 mins Total time -25 mins

INGREDIENTS Peas -1 cup Milk powder -1 1/2 cup Sugar- 1/2 cup Cashew

COOKING STEPS Take water in pan. Boil peas in it.

After cooling them, transfer it to a blender to mash them.

Take a pan. Put ghee in it. Add the mashed peas. Then grind sugar and put it in pan.

Add the milk powder. Stir everything till the pulp becomes soft. Add pinch of milk if it becomes too dry. Now transfer it to a plate. Grease the plate with ghee beforehand.

Now obtain small balls out of it. Cool it in freezer.

READY!!!!!

MILK PEDA

Mishti or Sweet is every Bengali’s weakness. Sweet is compulsory in our every occasion. We love to have sweet when we are celebrating something. Recently the biggest festival of Kolkata – DURGA PUJO was celebrated. It is a ritual to have sweets on the eve of Dashmi – final day of Durga pujo . I posted a sweet recipe previously in my blog. Today I am sharing another sweet recipe which I cooked recently.

Do check the recipe of #kachagolla which I posted before

https://letscookwithtina.wordpress.com/2019/08/22/kachagolla/
(opens in a new tab)

Peda – A sweet dish hailing from the Indian subcontinent. It is sweet in taste and can be made from many substances.

Preparation time -10 mins Cooking time -1 hour Total time -1 hour 10 mins

INGREDIENTS A) Milk- 1 litre B) Milk powder – 4 packets. C) Sugar -1 cup. D) Cardamom -2 to 4 pieces.

COOKING STEPS 1) Pour milk in pan . Add sugar and cardamom pieces. Boil it in high flame for few minutes. 2) After few minutes, lower the flame and continue stirring the milk. 3) As the milk becomes half , add milk powder and again stir it. Let it cook in low flame. 4 ) With gradual passing of time, the milk will dry up and form a milky dough. 5) Spread this dough on a butter or ghee smeared plate. 6) Let it cool for 10 -15 minutes. Cut peda pieces. 7) Refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

MILK PEDA IS READY

KACHAGOLLA

On the eve of Janmashtami , I am wishing all my blogger friends #Happyjanmashtami.

Here’s presenting a very popular Bengali sweet. The popularity of KACHAGOLLA rose to peak because of it’s lightness. It is easy to prepare. First step is to obtain curdled milk and then knead it with milk powder.

Now stir it in kadai with castor sugar.

As soon as the dough tightens, rest it on a plate. As it cools, make small balls out of the dough. Decorate it with raisins.

Decorate it with rose petals!!!!

AAM SANDESH | HOW TO BENGALI STYLE MANGO FUDGE | AAM SANDESH RECIPE

Today I am going to share my recipe of Mango Sandesh. Mango- the king of fruits is my sole reason to love summer. Today I am divulging my way of making Sandesh with the king of fruits. It is very simple and easy to cook. Let’s Cook Mango Sandesh easily.

INGREDIENTS

Mango -2. Lemon -2 Milk -2 packets. Sugar -1 cup.

HOW TO COOK AAM SANDESH (BENGALI STYLE MANGO SWEET)

Boil milk and reduce the milk into half. Then squeeze lime juice in the milk. Obtain the curdled milk. Take the chaana on a plate and mash the chana

Put 1 spoon ghee in pan. Add the chaana. Toss the chaana.

Squeeze the juice from mangoes.

Put the pulp in pan.

Stir for a while.

Add sugar to taste.

Saute till the mixture dries up.

Transfer to a greased plate.

Cut them into barfis/ sandesh