The New Nation - Internet Edition

Egg Halwa

Ingredients

- 4 eggs

- 1||2 cup khoya

- 4 tbsp. ghee or butter

- 1||2 cup sugar, or according to taste

- 1||2 cup milk

-1||2 tsp. ground green cardamom

Method

1. Mix the eggs, khoya, sugar and cardamom's powder together with a fork or a beater until sugar is dissolved.

2. Heat ghee in a heavy based saucepan. Pour the egg mixture and stirring all the time fry on medium heat for 5-8 minutes until the eggs are cooked. Don't over cook the eggs. Remove from fire and transfer to a serving plate.

Moog Daal Halwa

Ingredients:

2 cups Moong Daal

2 cups ghee

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

6 pods green cardamom split

1 cup khoya

1 cup finely chopped mixed dried fruits of your choice

Method:

Wash thoroughly and soak the moong daal in water plenty of water, overnight.

The next morning, grind to a smooth paste in a food processor. Do not add any water while grinding.

Prepare sugar syrup of one-thread consistency. When done, turn off the fire and add the split cardamom pods to the syrup. Cover and keep aside for later.

Heat the ghee/clarified butter in a heavy-bottomed (preferably non-stick) pan on a medium flame till warm.

Add the moong daal paste to this ghee and stir to mix. Cook the moong daal, stirring frequently till it begins to turn golden and release its aroma. Another sign of doneness to watch for is, the separation of the ghee from the moong daal.

Add the khoya and mix well. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Now add the sugar syrup (remove cardamom pods before adding) and mix to blend.

Cook on a medium flame for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the dried fruits and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off the fire.

Garnish with chopped nuts and serve. You can also add a dollop of vanilla ice-cream if desired.

Milk-gourd halwa

Ingredients:

4 cups grated milk gourd remove skin and seeds before grating

6 heaped tbsps ghee/ clarified butter measure when solid

1 cup khoya

2 (400gms each) cans sweetened condensed milk

5 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and powdered with a tsp of sugar in a mortar and pestle

1/2 cup almonds, blanched and cut into thin slivers

Method

Heat the ghee/ clarified butter in a heavy-bottomed (preferably non-stick) pan on a medium flame till warm.

Add the grated milk-gourd to this ghee and stir to mix. Cook, stirring frequently till the milk-gourd turns transparent. Another sign of doneness to watch for is, the separation of the ghee from the milk-gourd.

Add the khoya and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Now add the sweetened condensed milk, cardamom powder and mix to blend.

Cook till most of the moisture evaporates from the Halwa and it turns to a thick pudding consistency. Stir frequently to prevent scorching and burning. When done, turn off fire and allow to cool till just warm.

Garnish with almond slivers and serve.

Badam Halwa

Ingredients

- 225g almonds

- 1.4 liters water for soaking

- 568ml cold milk

- 225g sugar

- 150ml water

- 225g Ghee

- Silver leaves or halved almonds for decoration.

Method

Soak the almonds in the water overnight. They should be puffed up and double in size the next day. Skin the almonds and place them in a blender or food processor. Grind them to a smooth paste on a low speed, adding the milk gradually. Do not grind the almonds first on their own and then add the milk as too much of the almond oil will get lost. In a heavy based pan dissolve the sugar in the water, boil it rapidly for about 10 minutes to half its quantity. Add the ground almond paste and stirring very

frequently, simmer the mixture for 11/4 hours until it thickens. At no stage should it be allowed to stick to the bottom and scorch, as that will ruin the taste of the fudge.

In another pan, melt the ghee. Slowly pour a little ghee into the almond paste and stirring continuously, see that it is absorbed completely into the paste. Within a few minutes the paste will start releasing the ghee. As soon as that happens, pour in a little more ghee and once again stirring continuously, see that the has been absorbed. Repeat this process until all the ghee has been used up and the rich almond paste is glossy.

Decorate with silver leaf or halved almonds it wished. Lift off Burfi with a spatula and arrange on a serving dish.

Habshi Halwa

Ingredents

250 gm wheat extract

5 litres milk 500 gm

khoya 1 kg

sugar 1 kg

ghee 1 tsp

saffron 1 tsp

kewra jal 1 blade mace

1 pinch nutmeg

10 green cardamoms

Method

In a kadhai, mix the wheat extract and milk and cook on a slow fire, stirring constantly. This process is important to obtain the right consistency. When the milk is reduced to half, add mashed khoya, stirring constantly to blend to a smooth mixture. Then add dissolved saffron in kewra jal and sugar. Keep stirring. When the sugar is incorporated into the mixture and it becomes thick and difficult to stir, add ghee from the sides and stir well for about 20-30 minutes. When the halwa no longer sticks to the kadhai and becomes a cohesive mass, turn it out in a greased tray or ?thali?. Finely grind the mace nutmeg and cardamom. Sieve and sprinkle on the halwa. Then mark out diamond shaped pieces and serve when set. This can be stored for even a month in a cool place. Samnak: Take germinated wheat made from 1 kg wheat. Wash and grind the germinated wheat using some water. Then pass through muslin cloth to obtain the extract.

Tri Colored Halwa

Ingredients:

Sooji : 2 cups

Sugar : 3 cups

Ghee : 1 cup

Water : 5 cups

Salt, a pinch

Green Color, few drops

Orange Color, few drops

Method:

Heat ghee in a wide bottomed pan.

Add Sooji, and fry on low, till it gives a very nice aroma.

Meanwhile keep water for boiling.

Add boiling water to sooji, while mixing well, to avoid lumps.

Keep stirring on medium, till all the water has been absorbed.

Add sugar and salt, and mix well.

Stir till it forms halwa consistency.

Divide the halwa into 3 portions.

Mix orange color in one, and green in an other.

Take a wide plate, and put the halwa mixed with green and even it.

Then put the one without any color and even.

Lastly put the orange one and flatten.

Leave it cool.

Cut into desired pieces and Serve.

Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients

2 big beetroots (grated)

5 tbsp sugar

Some roasted nuts

2 tbsp ghee

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method

Heat the ghee and add grated beetroot to it. Keep stirring until the beetroot gets cooked by itself without adding any water.

When beet gets cooked in about 10 to 15 minutes time, add the roasted nuts,cardamom powder and sugar. Mix well till the sugar melts and you get the halwa kind of consistency.

Papaya Halwa

Ingredients

Ripe Papaya - 1 cup as cubes

Sugar - 3 tbsp

Milk - 50 ml

Ghee - 1 tsp

Cashew - 4 nos

Method

Cube papaya and make a puree of it.

Heat a pan and add 1 tsp of ghee. Roast the cashew and keep aside.

Then roast the papaya puree in the same pan, till its starts coming around. It has such a bright red colour. Add sugar and mix well.

Pour milk to the pan and cook on high, you will see the papaya turning to red again.

You need to constantly keep stirring. Once its really thick you can remove.

Transfer to a plate for the photo session and garnish cashew.

-Weekend Plus Desk